Don't Fear The Reapers
by RedHeadedViking
Summary: This story carries the relationship between Commander Linda Shepard and Garrus Vakarian through the events of ME3 - and beyond. Rated M: Shepard and Garrus aren't about to become celibate now!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Garrus Vakarian paced the Courtroom Access hallway. Admiral Hackett had allowed him to accompany Shepard to Earth, but he had not been permitted in the room where her court-martial was being held; hence the pacing. Based on the looks he received - everything from surreptitious glances to open-mouthed stares - he gathered that turians were not a common sight in an Alliance facility. At just over six feet tall, Garrus was the height of the average human male, but the resemblance ended there. From the striking, feather-like fringe on his head to his two-toed, taloned feet his physiology was completely alien. He was tempted to flare his mandibles in a friendly grin at passers-by, but felt that those unused to turian facial expressions might find the result more terrifying than comforting.

Attempting to relax, he stepped into the main hallway and positioned himself near the window that comprised the front wall of the building. Looking out the window, he took a deep breath and cleared his mind as he would when preparing for battle. His raptor-like grey eyes wandered to the courtyard in front of the compound. Garrus found humans interesting to watch - of all of the races in the galaxy, humans were the most diverse. Whereas the other races were homogenous, with only slight variations in skin tones and tattoos to distinguish individuals, humans were an eclectic lot with an endless variety of body shapes, sizes, hair and eye color. The warmth of the early spring day had drawn people outside in droves. The fountains and pools in the quad had attracted many families; young children ran and splashed in the water with abandon, their squeals and shouts bringing smiles to their parents' faces.

Garrus raised his eyes, his gaze traveling over the city skyline. _There are those that feel that humans aren't ready to play a major role on the galactic stage. They are wrong_. He smiled as he surveyed the architecture of the buildings surrounding him - all concrete, steel, and soaring spires drawing the viewer's gaze to the heavens. _Humans were destined for space - they reach for the stars even when their feet are on the ground._

A slight sound behind him caught his attention; he glanced over his shoulder to see that the door to the courtroom had opened. The proceedings had apparently ended; small groups of people were making their way from the room. As he made his way back to the hallway, Shepard wound her way through the crowd to meet him. Her face was carefully expressionless, but her blue eyes were blazing. As soon as she was close enough, Garrus reached out and took Linda's hands in his, pulling her closer; he could tell that she was furious.

"What happened?"

Shepard dropped her gaze and inhaled deeply through her nose, struggling to get her emotions under control before speaking. Finally, she looked back up.

"I've been stripped of my rank _and_ I'm to be placed in detention."

"_What?_" Garrus was so shocked that he could barely speak. "I know the Alliance is in denial about the Reaper threat, but to do _this_… Are they out of their minds?"

"I'm a victim of politics." Linda shrugged, anger and despair warring for control of her face. "A lot of batarians died when I destroyed the Alpha Relay. If stripping me of my rank will prevent the batarians from going to war with humans, the Alliance will do so gladly. To hell with the fact that I'm the only one that can help them with the _real_ threat that they're facing." She fell silent as Admiral Hackett approached.

Resplendent in his dress blues, Hackett stopped in front of them. His scarred visage was grim. "Shepard, for what it's worth - I'm sorry." Glancing at Garrus, he continued "You will be allowed a few moments to say your farewells."

Shepard did not acknowledge the Admiral's statement in any way; without speaking, she turned and walked away. Garrus fell into step beside her.

"What are we going to do now?"

She gave him a strained smile, glad that he had used the word "we". "We have plenty of friends in low places that will be willing to help us build our _own_ team to battle the Reapers, if only because it will help them protect their own asses - and assets. Hell, we even have the new Shadow Broker on our side this time."

Garrus chuckled and slid his arm around Linda's waist. "I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I do like the way you think."

The smile she gave him this time was less strained. "Good. You're the vigilante, so you'll get to be the liaison with the lowlifes. You have a face they can trust - I'm far too clean cut for the job." The twinkle in her eyes let Garrus know that she was rapidly regaining her equilibrium.

He reached out and brushed Shepard's hair away from her face. "I'll use Palaven as my base of operations. My mom's health is failing rapidly - I need to go home and see her."

Shepard reached up and took Garrus' hand in hers, pulled it to her lips and kissed it gently. "I'm sorry. I wish I could go with you."

As the guards approached to take Shepard away, Garrus pulled her into his arms, heedless of any stares. "I love you, Linda. Stay strong. I'll stay in touch."

Shepard slid her arms around Garrus' neck and kissed him hard. "I love you, too. Be careful out there."

As Shepard was led away, Garrus called out, "When the Alliance comes crawling back asking for your help, what happens then?"

Shepard flashed him the grin that he loved. "Maybe I'll help them, maybe I won't. It depends on how nicely they ask."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

As the airlock door closed behind them, Linda turned to stare at her former lover in exasperation. "Kaidan…"

"Don't 'Kaidan' me, Shepard." Kaidan Alenko stood close enough that the faceplates of their helmets touched; he shoved Shepard roughly. "I want to know what Cerberus is doing on Mars."

Linda's temper flared and she shoved back, just as hard. Kaidan was a good soldier, a powerful biotic, and drop-dead gorgeous, but he was rapidly becoming a major pain in the ass. "How the hell should I know? I thought we were past this – I've already _explained_ my former relationship with Cerberus to you. Or weren't you listening? I blew up the Collector Base rather than let it fall into the hands of the Illusive Man _and_ told him to take his job and shove it. We didn't part ways on the best of terms. I'm pretty sure I'm no longer on his Christmas card list, so why do you think he would tell me what his plans are?"

His body language still threatening, Alenko shot back "I don't know, but it's just too much of a coincidence in my opinion. Nobody knew that we were coming to Mars and yet here we are - and so is your 'former' employer."

James interposed his brawny body between the combatants before things could get ugly. Or rather, uglier. "Major, the Commander was under constant surveillance while she was in detention. There was no way for her to communicate with Cerberus. We were all together on the Normandy, so you know she didn't make contact there. Exactly how is she supposed to have gotten in touch with them? Telepathy?"

"After the way Cerberus rebuilt her? Yeah, for all I know telepathy was just one of the options included in the package."

James quickly pushed the pair further apart - he honestly thought Shepard was going to take a swing at Alenko. Being the only non-biotic in the group, his options were limited if the confrontation got worse.

Shepard stepped back, shaking her head. She inhaled deeply through her nose, forcing herself to relax. _Come on Shepard, don't let him get to you like that! _ "Kaidan - you know me better than most. You know who I am and what I believe in. You should know that I would never betray Earth, the Alliance, or _myself_ by selling out to Cerberus."

Kaidan hung his head as he too struggled for control. Finally, he raised his eyes to Linda's. "I want to believe you Shepard, but…" He didn't finish the sentence.

"I suppose that will have to do. For now, we need to focus on finding Liara before Cerberus does."

####

Once her team was in position, Shepard gave her orders via hand signals and they sprang into action. Cerberus used their usual strategy - smoke screens and brute force - but their tactics were no match for three determined biotics. The battle ended with no shots fired by Shepard's team.

Liara quickly disabled the turret and checked the status of the tramway. "Shepard, Cerberus has made it to the archives. They have everything locked down - we have no way across."

"Damn it. Any ideas?"

Kaidan spoke up instantly. "Commander, if I can find a short-range comm unit on one of the bodies, maybe we can use it to convince them that we're on their side."

"Good idea. See what you can find."

As Kaidan left the room, Liara smiled and cut her blue eyes at Shepard. "The Major has become very…. capable."

Shepard grinned. "Yeah, I noticed. But, it's not like that between us anymore Liara, you know that. However, if _you_ are interested…."

The conversation was cut short by a yell from Kaidan. Linda went to see what he had found. She found him staring at the body of a Cerberus operative.

"It - _he_ - is a husk."

Shepard knelt and examined the body. "Similar, but not exactly the same." She shook her head. "Only Cerberus would do something like this to their own people." She looked up to find Kaidan staring at her with a look bordering on disgust.

"Is this what they did to you?"

Linda got to her feet in shock. "How can you even compare me to this thing?"

"I don't know what to believe Shepard. I don't know what you are anymore, or who. I just need to know if the woman that I knew - the woman that I _loved_ - is still in there."

Shepard studied Kaidan in silence for a moment. "I'm the same person I've always been, Kaidan. Cerberus didn't change me. But words aren't going to convince you are they?"

Kaidan shrugged. "No, probably not. I want to trust you Shepard, but…"

Linda stepped closer and laid her hand on Kaidan's arm. "There is no 'but'. You either trust me or you don't. And we both know which it is." She turned away briefly, gathering her thoughts. When she turned back, she continued, "It's no use, Kaidan. I can't work like this. I can't have you questioning every move I make and undermining my authority. When this mission is over, we will be going to the Citadel. When we dock, I want you to leave the Normandy."

Kaidan looked stunned. "Shepard! You can't mean that! I mean… I don't…" His shoulders slumped in resignation. "I understand, Commander. Let's get the data and get out of here. I've had enough of this planet."

Shepard smiled sadly as he echoed her words on Horizon. "You and me both."

####

Shepard paced the Med Lab, adrenaline still coursing through her body. She felt as if she could _walk_ to the Citadel. "EDI, do you have any information on when Cerberus began using synthetics?"

"One moment," the AI replied, pausing briefly as she searched. "My records contain no mention of Cerberus using synthetic life forms. However, I did find data from experiments in which Reaper technology was implanted into human subjects."

"We saw evidence of those experiments today." Linda shuddered as she remembered the husk-like creature in Cerberus armor. "I want you to work with Adams and Traynor to learn everything you can about the synthetic that we brought back from Mars; that thing almost killed Kaidan before the rest of us could even react." She glanced at the locked door to the AI Core. "If the Illusive Man is building an army of synthetics, I need to know what we're up against and how to defeat them."

"Yes, Commander. We will begin work immediately."

Linda moved to Kaidan's bedside; the sight of his battered body brought tears to her eyes. His dark skin had a taken on a greyish cast - where it could be seen between the bruises. His labored breathing rattled through the room; she was afraid each ragged breath would be his last. She hesitated to touch him, afraid of causing him more pain, but finally took his hand gently in hers. "Hang on, Kaidan," she whispered. "Hang on. Don't let things end this way. _Fight_, soldier. That's an order."

Liara walked up quietly. "Joker and I have been in communication with the authorities at the Citadel. A docking bay has been reserved for us and an emergency medical team will meet us there."

"Thank you." Shepard looked at Liara with pain in her eyes. "I told Kaidan that I wanted him to leave the Normandy when we reached the Citadel." She glanced down at him in alarm as his breathing hesitated for a moment before resuming. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Well, that explains the tension that I felt between you two." Liara winced. "Try not to worry, Shepard. I'm sure he'll pull through and you will be arguing again in no time." Her attempt at humor fell flat; she gave Linda an apologetic glance before continuing. "Sorry. Now you know why I'm not a physician - I have a terrible bedside manner."

Leaving Liara to watch over Kaidan, Shepard made her way to the bridge. She stood in silence as she watched the pilot's hands flying over the control panels. Seeing Joker in action was always an awe-inspiring sight, but she wasn't about to tell him that; he was cocky enough already.

Sensing her presence, Joker spoke without looking away from his displays. "Something I can do for you, Commander? Or are you just trying to make me nervous?"

Shepard laughed. "Make you nervous? I'm not sure that anyone in the galaxy can do that, least of all me. Actually, I'd like to talk to Garrus. Can you patch me through to Palaven?"

"Sorry, Commander. No can do. I don't know what the Alliance did to my baby, but she's not up to par. Systems are acting up; communications just went offline."

Linda was disappointed; she really needed to hear Garrus' voice – and to let him know that she was okay. She'd have to wait and make contact when they reached the Citadel. "No problem, Joker. Once we dock, get a team onboard to run diagnostics on the Normandy; we can't go into a battle of this magnitude without her at her best."

"Yes, ma'am."

####

With the Normandy en route to Menae, Shepard slowly made her way to the elevator. She felt as if she were trapped inside one of her nightmares, only this time, she was wide awake. In her cabin, she locked the door and made her way to stare, unseeing, at the colorful fish that flitted through the aquarium. The events of the day were a blur - Kaidan being whisked away to surgery, the argument with the Council, and… the meeting with the turian councilor.

Linda's knees buckled and she collapsed. She pulled herself to an upright position and sat with her back pressed to the wall, her face buried in her hands, as she remembered. The councilor was waiting for her in Udina's office where he requested her assistance in rescuing the turian Primarch from Palaven's moon. The news that Palaven was under Reaper attack hit Shepard like a physical blow. _Garrus! _She was so distracted that she had to ask the councilor to repeat himself several times. She didn't remember how she had gotten back to the Normandy, only that she had done so in record time.

Gathering the last of her strength, Shepard pulled herself to her feet. She made her way across the room and began rummaging in the crates piled haphazardly behind the bed, thankful that the Alliance had not gotten rid of her belongings. A few minutes of searching led her to what she was looking for - a framed picture and Hershey, her childhood teddy bear. Clutching them both to her chest, Linda crawled into bed, not bothering to undress. Burying her face in the bear's brown fur, she inhaled deeply; Garrus' scent still lingered on him. She sobbed bitterly, pouring out her heart to her oldest friend; the friend that was the first to know that she loved Garrus, was now the first to know her fears that he was gone. She cried until she could cry no more, then she simply lay there, curled into a ball, numbness spreading through her body. Gradually, she became aware of the insistent chiming of the intercom.

"Shepard?" It was Liara. "Are you okay? Can I come in?"

"Go away, Liara." Shepard's voice was dull and listless.

"Shepard, if you don't let me in, Dr. Chakwas is going to have EDI override the lock. Besides, the cats are getting frantic out here."

Anger flared briefly. _Why the hell can't everyone just leave me alone? _The overwhelming numbness quickly pushed the anger aside; Shepard simply didn't have the energy to argue. "EDI, open the door," she sighed.

Mortimer and Meriel pushed into the room and rushed to the bed. They sniffed Shepard over carefully, and then lay down, pressing their warm furry bodies against her, offering comfort as best they could. She ran her hands down their backs, thanking them for their concern.

Liara slid onto the bed next to Linda and stroked her hair gently away from her face. "I've never seen you like this, Shepard. What happened?"

Linda struggled to a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard. "The Reapers attacked… Kaidan may die… everything has gone to hell. Garrus promised to go into hell with me, and now…" She gasped for air, struggling to conquer the sobs threatening to overwhelm her again. "Palaven is under attack."

"Garrus?"

"I don't know. All I know is that if Garrus survived the initial attack, he'll be wherever the fighting is fiercest – that's just the way he is."

Liara moved to lean against the headboard next to Shepard. "You've never been one to give up hope. Don't start now."

"I'm trying, but we've dodged death so many times – sooner or later, our luck is going to run out. I just know that this mission feels different. I can't bear the thought of going through it alone."

Liara took Linda's hand in hers. "You _aren't_ alone. Look around. You're surrounded by those that love you."

Shepard smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, those around me have a way of getting hurt – or worse. The thought of losing Garrus is almost more than I can bear. Without him – for the first time – I wouldn't care if I live or die. Without him, there isn't anything to live for." She stroked the cats, remembering the conversation the night she met Meriel. "We were – _are_ – planning to adopt children, raise a family."

"Good. I think you will make wonderful parents." Liara pulled off Shepard's shoes and helped her slide under the covers, tucking her in firmly and dimming the lights. "I'll stay with you until you go to sleep."

Linda continued to clasp the bear and picture to her chest; her freckles stood out in stark relief against her pale skin. The emptiness in her eyes worried Liara.

Almost as if reading her mind, Linda spoke softly. "When I… died… there was a moment before I blacked out, a moment when I could feel the absolute cold of space spreading through my body. Everything slowly went numb and I lost all sensation." She looked at Liara through eyes swollen from crying. "I feel the same way now; numb, lifeless." She raised one hand and stared at it as she slowly flexed her long, slender fingers and then shrugged. "I know that it's my hand, but it may as well belong to someone else; I can't feel it. I can't feel anything." She closed her eyes and sighed.

Shepard finally fell into an exhausted sleep. As she did, the picture that she had grasped so tightly slipped from her hand. Liara picked it up, curious. What made it so important to Shepard? Her heart clenched at what she saw – Garrus, torso swathed in bandages, asleep in Shepard's bed, his face buried in Hershey's fur. She held the picture to her chest, much as Shepard had, and studied her friend's face; dark circles like bruises marred the fair skin under her eyes.

_Goddess! _Liara's eyes sought the window above the bed. _Goddess – if I have found any favor in your eyes, please, _please_ let Garrus be alright. Let them finish this battle together._


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As Lt Cortez banked the transport on the final approach to Menae, Palaven appeared on the shuttle's interior display. Liara gasped at the scene - fire bled from the surface of the wounded planet. The sight of the devastation caused the icy fingers of fear gripping Linda's heart to squeeze even tighter. _Get a grip, Shepard, _she scolded herself_. You've got a mission to complete. _Her years of training kicked in andshe pushed her personal fears aside, focusing her mind on the battle ahead. 

As the team leaped from the shuttle to greet the swarm of husks rushing to meet them, Cortez called out "Don't take all day, Vega. I've got things to do."

"Yeah, yeah," James called back over his shoulder. "No worries, Lola," he added with a grin as he casually slammed the butt of his shotgun into a husk. The force of his blow sent the creature flying; it crashed into a rock outcropping and disintegrated. "We'll rescue the Primarch and be back on the shuttle before Cortez has time to take a dump."

####

Shepard paced restlessly as General Corinthus worked through the chaotic remains of the turian hierarchy in an effort to determine the name and location of the new Primarch. She turned as he gave a satisfied grunt.

"Finally!" The general motioned for Shepard to join him at the terminal and pointed at the picture displayed on the screen. "This is the man you are looking for – General Adrien Victus. There's just one problem. We don't know where he is."

Before she could respond, a familiar voice rumbled "I'm on it Shepard." She wheeled around sharply, her heart in her throat. "Garrus?" It _was_ Garrus, grinning at her as if they had never been apart. "I thought you were on Palaven. I thought you were… dead."

Garrus took Shepard's hand in both of his. The contact was brief, but spoke volumes. "I'm hard to kill - you should know that." He gave her a wink. "The Reapers are in trouble now! Vakarian and Shepard are together again."

At Garrus' touch, the icy tendrils surrounding Shepard's heart shattered and the numbness fled. She noticed James looking at them curiously and turned to make introductions. "James, this is Garrus Vakarian. Garrus is an old friend and a damn good soldier; he helped me defeat Sovereign _and_ the Collectors. Garrus, this is James Vega, the newest member of my team." She smiled to herself as the two shook hands and sized each other up as only men can do. During the course of the brief handshake they tested each other's strength and took each other's measure as both men and as soldiers.

Just as she turned back to General Corinthus, her comm link squawked to life with Joker yelling something about the Normandy being possessed and a Harvester swooped overhead, almost close enough to touch, en route to the turian airfield. She took control of the situation. Damn, it was good to feel like herself again.

She pointed a finger at each of her teammates as she issued orders. "Liara, get back to the ship and help Joker. Garrus, James, you're with me – we need to clear the airfield of whatever that thing just dropped off." As she slammed a new thermal clip into her assault rifle, she rounded on Corinthus. "General, I need you to _find the Primarch_!"

With a quick jerk of her head in the direction of the airstrip, Shepard took off at a trot, the men hot on her heels. After months apart, Garrus had one burning question to ask as they ran into battle.

"Shepard, what the hell have you done to your hair?"

"What's wrong? Don't you like purple?"

"Not as much as I liked the original color."

She laughed at the concern in his voice. "Don't worry, it's temporary. " She shrugged. "What can I say? I had too much time on my hands in detention. I got bored."

James chimed in, "You must get bored easily, Lola. You had only been in detention for a few days when I met you and your hair was already purple."

Garrus leveled a steely gaze at James when he heard the nickname; the expression on his face was hard to read – even for a turian.

"What can I say? I guess I was feeling a little rebellious."

Garrus snorted. "You? Rebellious? Never!" He laughed when Linda stuck her tongue out at him.

The battle was brief, but intense. Upon returning to General Corinthus, they learned that he still had not been able to locate Primarch Victus.

Garrus spoke up, "I was with him this morning; I can take you to where I saw him last."

Shepard nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. Everyone stock up – grab as many thermal clips and grenades as you can carry." After a quick weapons check, she gave Garrus a nod. "You've got point."

####

"Hey, Commander." Joker turned his chair around to greet Shepard as she stepped onto the bridge. "Were you afraid that this mission was going to be too dull? I mean, isn't fighting the Reapers exciting enough? Did you really have to bring a turian and a krogan on board at the same time?"

Linda rolled her shoulders to ease the tension that had built up during the "discussion" in the conference room. "Don't forget about the whiny salarian."

"Yeah. Are all female salarians as bitchy as this one or did we just get lucky?"

"I think we just got lucky. If they were all this bad, the race would have died out a long time ago."

"Well, at any rate, I'm glad that Garrus is back. A suicide mission just wouldn't be the same without him."

Linda laughed. "I'll tell him that you said so." Giving Joker a wave, she headed to the main battery for a private reunion with her favorite turian.

Even though the engineering deck was the true heart of the Normandy, Shepard always felt its heartbeat best in the main battery - perhaps because its occupant was the one that _her_ heart beat for. She paused briefly outside the door and closed her eyes as she pressed her face against the cool metal. "Thank you," she whispered to Whoever might be listening. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the battery, carefully locking the door behind her.

She paused for a moment to get her bearings; the Alliance had reconfigured the room. Following the sound of Garrus' voice she found him already at work, his head buried in the inner workings of the Thanix cannon. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, appearing much calmer than she actually felt as she waited for him to finish his conversation with Primarch Victus. When he broke the connection, she couldn't resist asking, "Calibrating already?"

Garrus put his tools down and turned to her with a grin. "Well, you know me…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, uh, is this the part where we shake hands? I'm not really familiar with the protocol for reunions."

Shepard slid her arms around Garrus' neck and kissed him soundly; he returned the kiss with a fervor that took her breath away. When they finally came up for air, she assured him "_That_ is the protocol for a reunion."

"I had hoped it would go something like that…" Garrus' voice broke. He pulled Shepard against him in a crushing hug and buried his face in her neck. "Spirits, Shepard. I thought you were dead. I saw the vids of the attack on Earth – I even saw the remains of the building that you were in. I didn't see how anyone could have gotten out alive. When I got word that you were on the way to Menae…"

"I know. I felt the same way. I had no idea where you were, but after seeing the devastation on Palaven, I had pretty much given up hope. When I heard your voice…" This time it was Linda's turn to clear her throat.

They stood in silence, foreheads pressed together, arms wrapped around each other. Finally, Garrus couldn't stand it any longer. "So, _Lola_, is there something I need to know about? Do I need to be concerned about the new Lieutenant?"

With a start, Shepard realized that he was actually _jealous_. She took his hands in hers and pressed them to her lips one at a time. "Absolutely not. I've been a one-turian woman since you took me up on my offer to test your reach and my flexibility. You're the only man for me. Besides, James is just a flirt; he's harmless."

"Harmless?" Garrus snorted. "Are you sure that we're talking about the same person? The kid's built like a baby krogan!"

Shepard laughed. "You should tell him that – he'd probably take it as a compliment. Trust me, James is all talk. Give him a chance. I think you two will get along famously; you're both rather… self-assured." As she talked, her hand drifted up to stroke Garrus' scarred mandible as she had so often done in the past. He chuckled and she arched a violet brow questioningly.

"My scars are healing. I know they used to drive you wild. Maybe I should go out and get new ones?"

Shepard's blue eyes darkened slightly. "Don't go to any trouble on my account. You'll have more than enough opportunities for new scars before this is over with." Shaking off the brief moment of melancholy, she grinned as she continued, "The scars _were_ sexy, but it's really your voice that makes my toes curl."

Garrus leaned down and growled seductively in her ear, "The voice is it? I thought it was my tongue that made your toes curl – among other things."

Linda's breathing quickened and her nipples grew hard against the fabric of her shipsuit at the combination of the voice and the memories of his tongue and exactly what it was capable of.

Garrus was well aware of the effect that he was having on Shepard – just as he knew the effect she was having on him. He drew her close and kissed her again. Shepard pressed against him, slowly backing him against the wall, her hands eagerly seeking the fastenings on his armor.

"Easy, Shepard." Garrus took her hands in his to still them. "I'm as eager to get… _reacquainted_ as you are, but don't forget – we haven't had our anti-allergen injections. I don't want our first night back together to end with a trip to the Med Lab."

Linda sighed as she pushed away, her body thrumming with need. "Damn. I guess you're right. I think I'll go have a little chat with Dr. Chakwas. Don't go anywhere."

Garrus strode to his workstation and pulled out a bottle of wine. "You know where to find me – and this time, I can afford the good stuff."

After one more lingering kiss, and promises to return quickly, Linda made her way to the Med Lab. As she stepped through the door, she literally ran into Dr. Chakwas, who was on her way out. The two danced around awkwardly for a moment as they each tried to keep from falling. Finally, she grabbed the doctor's elbows and succeeded in steadying them both.

Doctor Chakwas quickly smoothed her grey hair back into place. "Commander! What a coincidence. I was just on my way to see you." She held out a pouch. "This is for you."

Curiously, Linda opened the bag; she laughed as the light shone on the hypo sprays and the vials of red and blue anti-allergen serums filling it. "I guess you heard that Garrus is back." She blushed slightly. "I was just coming to talk to you about this."

"Yes, when I heard that our favorite turian was alive and well and onboard the Normandy, I got to work immediately. I thought it might come in handy."

"Yes, it will." Shepard gave the doctor a quick hug. "Thank you."

The doctor shooed her away playfully. "It was my pleasure. Now, speaking of pleasure…" she nodded meaningfully to the main battery. "I'm sure you can find a way to put those to good use."

"Yes ma'am." Linda gave her a playful salute as she turned to walk away, but paused as the doctor spoke again.

"It's good to see you smile again, Commander."

"It's good to feel like smiling." Shepard continued to smile as she made her way back to the battery. As the doors slid open, she heard Primarch Victus' voice on the intercom; the only words that she caught were "War Room".

Garrus acknowledged her presence with a nod, but directed his statement to the Primarch. "Immediately, sir. Vakarian out." Breaking the connection, he turned to Shepard and took her hands in his – after putting the pouch on his workstation. "Damn, Shepard. I'm sorry – Victus needs me in the War Room right away. The rest of our reunion will have to wait. Forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. This is a war and we are both soldiers; sometimes sacrifices are necessary. "However…" she reached in the pouch and drew out the vials of blue serum and handed them to him. "The good doctor had already made these for us. I recommend that you begin using them _immediately_." She stepped closer, took his hand and placed it on her breast. "I want you to be ready. The next time an opportunity presents itself, you are going to have a hard time convincing me to wait."

Garrus' breath quickened as he took advantage of the opportunity to cop a feel. "Believe me, Shepard. I'm more than ready – _and_ having a hard time. It would be painfully obvious if I weren't wearing body armor." He grimaced slightly as his cock responded with enthusiasm to his thoughts. "As it is, right now it's just painful." Giving Linda a quick kiss, he grabbed his data pad and headed for the door.

"Hey, Vakarian!" Linda stopped him just as the door opened. When he turned around, she told him seriously, "I've missed you, Garrus. I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too." With that, he turned and headed for the elevator at a trot.

Shepard leaned back against the workstation and watched him go, the warmth of pure happiness spreading through her body. In spite of everything that had happened and everything that lay ahead, her little corner of the galaxy had become a much brighter place.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Is that _webbing_?" James peered at the strange grey substance hanging from the cavern walls like Spanish moss on steroids.

Shepard stopped her forward momentum so quickly that puffs of dust arose from the ground at her feet. "Webbing? Ah, crap." She stared intently at the strands. "We've fought rachni before. I don't remember them spinning webs."

Garrus laughed as understanding dawned.

Linda glared at him. "I don't see anything amusing here, Vakarian."

James looked from one to the other, waiting for an explanation. Garrus was more than happy to give him one. "Lieutenant, there is one thing that few people know about our Commander." Glancing at Linda, he continued in a stage whisper, "She is afraid of spiders."

Shepard continued to stare uneasily at the webbing. "I'm not _afraid_ of spiders – I just dislike them intensely. I don't relish the thought of stumbling across some previously unknown race of giant space spiders capable of taking out an entire squad of Krogan."

A grin spread across James' face as he turned and looked at Shepard. "Seriously, Lola? You're afraid of spiders?"

Garrus strode over to Vega and began giving him details – his glee evident in his voice. "You have _no_ idea. I've rescued her from arachnids on more than one occasion. When I asked her what I should do with the poor creatures, she told me that I should blow them out the air lock. And she wasn't kidding."

James snorted with laughter.

"And you haven't lived until you've seen what I call the 'spider dance'."

"What's that?"

"It's this marvelous freestyle piece that Shepard performs when she thinks a spider might actually be _on_ her – usually accompanied by the words 'getifoff, getitoff, getitoff.' The words rise in pitch as they're spoken."

Shepard scowled at both of them.

"Gee, Commander, I'd love to see that. Your, ah, ability to dance is legendary."

Linda hefted the Firestorm that she had removed from the body of the krogan scout. "It would behoove both of you to remember that I _am_ carrying a flame thrower." She turned her back on the two men, stomped to the webbing and flamed it into ash as gales of laughter broke out behind her.

####

The column of rock shattered, creating a cloud of razor-sharp shrapnel that spread rapidly in all directions. Linda activated her barrier as she threw herself behind cover but she wasn't quick enough to dodge the sliver of stone that slashed open her cheek as it passed. She gasped in pain and quickly applied enough medi-gel to stop the bleeding.

"Commander! Are you alright?" James' voice crackled over the comm unit.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Shepard shifted her position slightly so she could check on her teammates. "What the hell was that?"

Garrus rolled to his stomach and used the scope on his sniper rifle to get a look at their adversary. "Well, Shepard, I have good news and bad news," he replied. "The good news is that we're dealing with rachni, not spiders." He chuckled grimly. "The bad news is that the Reapers have apparently made a few upgrades to our friends."

"Upgrades? What do you mean?" Quickly following suit, Linda used the scope on her assault rifle to see what they were facing. "Great. Rachni with heavy weapons. Awesome. What will they think of next? Never mind – I don't want to know." Everyone ducked as another massive round struck dangerously close. As the dust settled, she motioned sharply to her squad. "Alright, gentlemen - you know what we need to do. Let's hit them with everything we've got."

As one, the trio leaped to their feet and rushed to meet the enemy, the air crackling with gunfire and biotics.

####

Linda glanced at Grunt as Dr. Chakwas cleaned and cauterized the gash on her cheek. The krogan was in stable condition and feeling good enough to heckle Mordin, who responded to his jests good-naturedly.

"All finished, Shepard." The doctor scowled at her handiwork. "I'm afraid you may have a scar." She arched a brow accusingly. "It's hard to work on a patient that won't sit still."

Shepard shrugged. "It's no big deal. This mission is just getting started – I'm sure I'll have plenty more scars to deal with before this is all over."

The doctor shook her head. "What is it with you and Garrus? He won't let me treat his scars either - I think he is actually proud of them."

Linda grinned as she slid off of the examination table. "Comparing our scars can lead to other interesting activities." A frown crossed her face briefly. _Or it might, if we ever have any time alone._

Dr. Chakwas noticed the frown. "Is everything okay, Shepard?"

"Everything is fine – or it will be once we get rid of a few of our passengers."

Giving the doctor a wave, Shepard left the Med Lab and surveyed the mess hall with a smile. She was pleased with how well her crew was meshing. All of her crews had functioned well together, but this one had come together on a level unreached by the others. The mess hall served as a constant hub of activity and it wasn't uncommon to find crew members relaxing together in the lounge or even visiting each other's quarters and work areas. Tonight James and Garrus were among the crowd in the mess hall, chatting easily over their meals. She made her way over and gave them each an affectionate slap on the shoulder.

"I see this meeting of the Normandy Smartass Club is well underway. Good work out there today, gentlemen. We make a good team." She turned a steely blue gaze on James. "Vega, if I find any spiders anywhere in my vicinity, I'm going to hold you personally responsible – and I promise you, payback is hell. Understood?"

"Understood, Lo… I mean, ma'am."

"At ease, soldier." James could hear the laughter in Linda's voice as she turned to walk away. "Enjoy your evening."

"Shepard, wait." Garrus hurriedly wiped his mouth and discarded the remains of his food. "Do you have a minute? I have something I need to discuss with you."

"Of course." She waited for Garrus to catch up with her, then made her way to the elevator, where she punched the button for her cabin. As soon as the door closed behind them, Garrus pulled her into his arms, kissed her gently, then pressed his forehead to hers; she sighed and relaxed against him, enjoying being in his arms again. They finished the ride in silence.

When the door opened, Shepard reluctantly pulled away from Garrus, but took his hand in hers and led him into her cabin. "You said that you needed to talk to me?"

"Yeah." Garrus pulled her back into his arms, wanting to take full advantage of this rare opportunity. "I want to apologize for the fact that we haven't been able to spend any time together. Alone. Like this. Every time I think I may have a few minutes, the Primarch tracks me down again." He leaned his face into the hand that Shepard placed against his mandible.

"It's okay. Curing the genophage is a big deal. The fate of your planet rests on getting the aid of the krogans. However…" she stretched up and outlined his mouth with the tip of her tongue as she teased the sensitive skin below his fringe with her fingertips. "I haven't forgotten that we still need to get reacquainted. I've got several things in mind for that occasion."

Garrus rumbled with pleasure and pressed Shepard closer to him. "Oh? I've been making a few plans myself." He lowered his head and kissed her, letting his hands run over her body, lingering briefly over the swell of her breasts before dropping them to her ass. "You still have the best ass I've ever seen."

"Mmmm. Tell me more."

The intercom chimed abruptly and Primarch Victus' voice crackled over the speakers. "Vakarian? I heard that you were back on board. I need you in the War Room right away. We have to finalize the plans for the turian fighters that will be aiding in the distribution of the genophage cure on Tuchanka. Vakarian? Are you there?"

Linda could hear Garrus' teeth grinding as he struggled to get his emotions under control. "Yes, General. I'm here. I'll join you shortly. Vakarian out." Breaking the connection, he slammed one hand against the fish tank, startling its occupants. "Damn! That man has impeccable timing." Turning to Shepard, he added, "See what I mean?"

Linda laughed and gave him a playful swat on the rear. "Well, you know what they say, war is hell. Go on - duty calls. I'll catch you later."

Garrus cursed quietly under his breath as he made his way out of the cabin. He was still swearing vigorously as the elevator door closed.

####

_Shepard strained to see through the thickening fog. Or was it smoke? She sniffed the air, unable to decide. Where is everyone? I can hear them whispering. Wait. There – in the distance. A flicker of light. She ran, feeling as though she were wearing mag boots to a track meet. The boy? Thank God! This time, I _will_ help him. She batted frantically at the flames that sprung up around him. No! Not again… _

She woke with a gasp, sweat pouring from her body, soaking the sheets that were tangled around her. The nightmare again - always the same. She made her way to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face and neck, striving to drive away the lingering effects of the dream. She studied her reflection in the mirror as she dried off, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. _How can I save the galaxy when I can't even get a good night's sleep? _

Her usual response upon awakening was to bury herself in the work piled up on her desk. Better to get _something_ accomplished rather than lying in bed alone, watching the stars flow by overhead. Sleep, if it came, would only result in a repeat of the nightmare. With a sigh, Linda headed for her desk, but stopped as a single word struggled to the forefront of her thoughts. _Alone_. That was the problem. No more. Not this time. She threw on her shipsuit and made her way to the crew deck.

The Normandy was quiet, its engines humming softly to themselves as the rest of the ship vibrated gently in time with their song. Linda made her way to the main battery without encountering anyone else. The battery was dark, the only light coming from the display that Garrus used to track the activity of the turian fleet. She moved cautiously, letting her eyes adjust. She finally found him, sleeping on a pallet on the floor between his workstation and the controls for the Thanix cannon. He was snoring softly. _How I have missed that sound! _She knelt and crawled carefully to the pallet, lifted the lightweight covering draped over him and slid under.

Always a light sleeper, Garrus woke instantly. "Shepard? Is everything okay?"

"It is now," she whispered. "Bad dreams. I didn't want to be alone." She gave him a quick kiss, and then curled up against him, pulling his arms around her. "Go back to sleep."

Garrus nuzzled her ear and murmured "I'll keep the nightmares away." Settling the covers over them both, he hummed to her – songs from his childhood – as he had done when her dreams had been haunted by visions of the Collectors. Now, as then, she relaxed in his arms and slowly drifted into a sound, dreamless slumber. Only when Shepard's breathing changed to the rhythm that let him know she was in a deep sleep, did Garrus dare to doze again. His senses were tuned to his lover; he knew that he would wake at the first sign of any disturbance.

The rest of the night passed peacefully and Garrus woke first. He slid out of bed carefully, hoping that Linda would continue to sleep. He had just returned from the mess hall with a steaming cup of tea when the Primarch made an unexpected appearance.

"Vakarian! The Reapers have attacked a fuel depot and broken our supply lines…" Garrus made urgent shushing motions with his hands. The Primarch looked confused, but lowered his voice before continuing. "I need for you to run the numbers – determine the best way for us to maximize our existing fuel supply until we can connect with a new source."

"I'll get right on it, sir," Garrus whispered.

"No need to whisper. I'm awake." Shepard got to her feet, stretched, and brushed her hair out of her eyes before joining the men.

"Commander Shepard." Victus nodded respectfully. "I didn't know you were here."

She laughed. "Long night. Bad dreams. Garrus doesn't seem to have them, and he is good at keeping mine away." She grinned at Garrus as she spoke; he looked thoroughly nonplussed by the entire situation.

The Primarch's gaze softened as he looked at the pair in front of him. "Ah. I was unaware of the relationship between you. I feel as though I should apologize – I'm sure that my demands on Vakarian's time have not allowed you to have a decent reunion."

Garrus chuckled ruefully. "No sir, they have not."

Linda waved her hand in the air as though brushing the matter aside. "We are both career military. We know that the mission comes first." She cocked her head to one side and gazed thoughtfully at the Primarch. "However, I must admit that I am a bit surprised that you don't seem the least bit bothered by our unorthodox relationship."

"Commander, I've never been one to color inside the lines – a very un-turian trait, I assure you." He shrugged. "Life, love, war… none of these things can be placed inside a box. I say, when you find the one that you are meant to be with, you make the most of it and to hell with what others think. Life is too short."

"My sentiments exactly, Primarch."

Garrus, still tongue-tied, nodded in agreement.

Shepard winked at him and made her way to the door. "Carry on, gentlemen."

As the door closed, the Primarch turned to Garrus. "Excellent taste in women, Vakarian. I didn't know you had it in you. Now about those numbers…"


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Linda slammed the datapad onto her desk in irritation. _Apparently the damn things breed like rabbits,_ she thought as the violence of her action caused the stack of its unread siblings, already teetering precariously, to scatter across the surface of her desk. The flood of electronics narrowly missed the cup of hot cocoa rapidly cooling by her elbow. She sighed and rubbed her aching eyes; she felt like she hadn't slept in a week. With a grimace, she realized that she really hadn't. Even when she was lucky enough to sleep, the nightmares woke her. More often than not, sleep wouldn't come – her mind was too busy, thinking, planning, remembering….

_Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong. _Mordin – gone. Another friend dead. _How many more will there be? No matter what I do it isn't enough. _Her chest ached with unshed tears; she shook her head. _No time for that. _She snatched a random datapad from the chaos before her and glanced at the words flowing across the screen. The sound that tore from her throat was somewhere between a sob and a laugh. _Do I _really_ need to know that the Alliance has begun rationing toilet paper? _Each of the dozen or so units littering her desk contained information that the Alliance felt that she should know. And she had to look at every one of the damn things to weed out the facts that were actually useful.

She stood up and began pacing, trying to burn off some of the anger beginning to flow through her. Anger at the Reapers. Anger at the Alliance and council races for refusing to prepare for the invasion. Anger at the Illusive Man for being part of the problem and not the solution. Anger at all of the untold deaths that had already occurred and those that lay ahead. Anger that threatened to overwhelm her with its intensity. _To hell with it. Toilet paper shortages aside, I've got to find a way to blow off steam before I snap. _As her steps took her back toward her desk, her gaze fell on the picture of Garrus and Hershey that she had placed next to her private terminal. "God, I miss him," she breathed; it was part prayer, part simple statement of fact. _What I wouldn't give for an average, run of the mill suicide mission._ As she paced, she rolled her shoulders, hoping to ease the muscles that were knotted with tension. _James offered me the use of his punching bag - I think I'll take him up on it. _As she turned to leave, her terminal chimed indicating a high priority message. She hesitated, habit urging her to go back and read it. Frustration quickly beat habit into submission and she made her way to the elevator, looking forward to beating the shit out of something.

####

Liara stepped into the main battery, her worry making her abrupt. "Garrus, we need to talk." She paused briefly, trying to decide where to begin, but Garrus cut her off, raising one hand in the universal symbol for "wait."

His gaze was intent on the screen before him, his taloned hands gliding quickly across the keyboard, his movements as briskly efficient as always. He hit the key to finalize his task and turned to welcome his visitor. His planned greeting died in his throat and his stomach knotted with concern at the expression on her face.

"What's wrong?"

Liara moved to stand next to him; with her posture rigid, arms wrapped around her waist, and her eyes lowered, her body language practically screamed with anxiety. "I've been speaking to Dr. Chakwas; she is concerned about Shepard." She raised her eyes to meet his. "So am I. This mission is taking its toll on her. She isn't sleeping well and looks more worn down every time I see her. We need to do _something_ to help her, but I don't know what - you know how independent she is."

Garrus chuckled. "Independent is an understatement." He took Liara's hand, led her to the crate in front of his weapons bench, forced her to sit, and then sat beside her. "I'm already on it. When you came in I was sending Shepard a message asking her to meet me the next time we're on the Citadel. I've got a few things planned that should help her feel better." As he rubbed a hand across his face, Liara realized that he, too, was fighting exhaustion. "I wish I had done something earlier, but circumstances haven't been exactly ideal. Between fieldwork and paperwork, neither of us has been able to take a deep breath." He shrugged and gave her a smile. "I can't change the past. But I'm going to make damn sure that things are better in the future."

Liara returned the smile. "Thanks, Garrus. I knew that if anyone could help, it would be you." She leaned forward and placed a hand on his mandible, forcing him to face her. "But don't forget to take care of yourself, too. Shepard's not the only one looking a little ragged around the edges."

Garrus seemed surprised. "I didn't know that you could read turian facial expressions so well."

She patted his cheek before removing her hand. "You're not just a turian; you're a friend." She gave him a quick kiss on the mandible before standing and making her way out. She returned to her quarters, determined that the Shadow Broker would find even more ways to bring an end to this conflict and peace to her friends.

####

Linda returned to her cabin drenched in sweat, but feeling better than she had in some time. James had put her through quite a workout and her body ached, but in a good way. She stripped out of her shipsuit as soon as the door closed, going straight to the shower. She simply stood under the warm spray for several minutes, letting it ease the ache from her tired muscles. Finally, she washed her hair and soaped off her body, grunting at the pain in her hands as she manipulated the soap. Her knuckles were red and swollen, in spite of the gloves that she had borrowed from James. As she stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair with a towel, the intercom chimed.

"Shepard?" It was Garrus. "Are you there? EDI said that you had gone back to your cabin."

"I'm here. I just got out of the shower."

There was a long pause. "Really? What are you wearing?"

She chuckled. "Standard Alliance undergarments. Nothing special."

Garrus cleared his throat. "Hmm. The special part is what's _in_ the undergarments. I'd like to see that. It's been a while."

"Well, what's stopping you? You know where to find me. Come on up. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

"I've got to shut a few things down, but I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye." The connection was broken abruptly, but was re-established just as quickly. "Linda? I love you. I don't think I've told you that enough recently."

"I love you, too. Don't be long." Shepard tossed the wet towel into the bathroom before walking to the bedroom. She hesitated, wondering if she should remove her underwear, but decided that letting Garrus do the honors would be more exciting. Sliding into the bed, she positioned herself in what she hoped was an alluring fashion. Turning her gaze to the skylight over the bed, she watched the stars flowing by as she idly stroked her breasts through the thin fabric of her bra. Her nipples sprang to attention and she closed her eyes, fantasizing about what lay ahead when Garrus arrived. The next thing she knew, she was waking up. Soft snoring drew her attention to where Garrus slept awkwardly in a chair that he had pulled to her bedside.

"Hey, you." She spoke softly, not wanting to startle him. His grey eyes opened instantly and he sat up, rubbing at his neck. "There was a warm bed - and a warmer me – right here. You didn't have to sleep in a chair."

He slid into the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. "Believe me, I thought about waking you. Certain parts of my anatomy were quite insistent, but I couldn't do it. You were actually sleeping; you don't do enough of that these days." They lay together in cocoon of warmth and silence until Joker's voice intruded.

"Commander, we've arrived at the Citadel. Docking procedures have been initiated."

"Thanks, Joker. Shepard out." She broke the connection and raised her head to kiss Garrus lightly on the mandible. "Duty calls." She threw the covers back and crawled reluctantly out of bed. As she stood up, Garrus whistled long and low.

"Damn. I can't believe I didn't wake you up, Shepard. That ass…" He stood up and walked to her before she could get dressed. "When I contacted you last night, I actually planned to tell you to be sure to read the message that I sent you, but no need now. We both need some R meet me at the shuttles near C-Sec. I've got something special planned." He patted her firmly on the rear, gave her a wink, and walked out. Whistling.

"Something special, huh?" Linda glanced at the clothes in her hand and after a brief debate, discarded her sedate, military-issue underwear and pulled out the guaranteed-to-cause-a-hard-on, knock-his-eyes-out black lace bra and panties that she had been saving for a special occasion. "I hope your idea of special is the same as mine."

####

Garrus steered the shuttle smoothly into the traffic flowing through Citadel airspace.

Linda glanced at him curiously. "So. Where are we going?"

"To the top of the Presidium. I've always wanted to go there, and now is the time."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Definitely. C-Sec has one hundred thirty-seven regulations preventing it. In the past, that was enough to stop me, but now, I just don't give a damn."

Within minutes he guided them to a smooth landing at their destination. Climbing out of the vehicle, Linda closed her eyes, threw her head back and inhaled deeply, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze blowing gently against her skin. When she opened her eyes, Garrus watched her intently as she beheld the panorama before them.

"It's incredible."

He stepped up beside her. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope that it would inspire a certain… mood."

She glanced up at him coyly through her lashes. "Something on your mind, Vakarian?"

With sudden, sure movements Garrus pulled her into his arms, placed one hand securely in the small of her back and… dipped her. As her eyes widened in surprise, the look on his face took her breath away. The pressing together of their lips was more than just a kiss; it was a promise. A promise of passion, of love, of friendship, of…. always. When the kiss ended, his voice was rough with emotion. "Never doubt my feelings for you, Shepard. I love you. Forever." He punctuated his sentence with another kiss. Then, giving her a wink, he pulled her to her feet, stepped to the side and pulled out two sniper rifles.

"But, before we leave, there's something that we are going to settle once and for all." He tossed her a gun. "Let's find out who is really the best shot. Don't worry, I loaded it with practice slugs for when you miss."

Shepard arched a brow at him. "Alright, Vakarian. You are _so_ going down."

It was a testament to their training and skill that either of them could make the shots. Calculating the variables of distance, speed, trajectory, and wind in a fraction of a second was beyond the ability of all but the best. After the first round, they were evenly tied. When Garrus threw the second target, Linda lined up the shot, threw a quick glance at him out of the corner of her eye and then adjusted her aim just a hair. Her shot went wide.

She struggled to hide her grin as he crowed, "I'm Garrus Vakarian and _this_ is now my favorite spot on the Citadel."

"It's windy up here," she protested.

"There, there." He draped an arm over her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry Shepard, I know that there are… other things that you are good at." They stood with arms wrapped around each other's waists, enjoying the view, the silence, and the chance to finally be alone together.

Garrus finally broke the silence. "Shepard? There's something that I've been wanting to ask you."

She cocked her head at him questioningly.

"Did you dye _all_ of your hair purple?" He tried to look innocent, but failed miserably.

She laughed; the sound made his heart beat faster and his breath come quicker. "If you want to know the answer to _that_, we're going to have to go somewhere a lot more private and spend some time getting… reacquainted."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He swept her into his arms and carried her to the shuttle for the quick hop to the penthouse apartment that he had rented for the night.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Garrus guided Linda through the door, one hand on her waist, the other over her eyes. He carefully positioned her for the best effect before removing his hand and telling her, "Open your eyes." He unconsciously held his breath as he waited for her reaction.

Shepard held his hands firmly in hers as her she slowly took in the details of the room before her. A path of rose petals led to a massive canopy bed draped with sheer white curtains. On the opposite wall, a fire flickered in an actual wood-burning fireplace; the floor before the hearth was covered with a plush rug and a myriad of pillows. Champagne cooled in a bucket of ice on a small table set for two, and more rose petals floated on the surface of the water filling a heart shaped hot-tub. The entire room was lit solely by the light from the fire and dozens of candles.

"Well? What do you think?" The suspense was killing him.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with love – and desire. "Oh, Garrus! It's beautiful! Just like you." She reached eagerly for the fastenings on his armor, aching to see more of him. Her efforts were foiled as he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. As soon as he put her down, the foreplay began in earnest. They undressed each other slowly, their fingers and lips lingering as they reacquainted themselves with each other's bodies.

Garrus groaned as Shepard removed the lower part of his armor, freeing a massive erection. "Spirits, that feels good. Body armor and a hard-on don't mix well, but at least it keeps me from displaying my 'feelings' to the rest of the world."

Linda's body kicked into overdrive at the sight of him - her breathing became rapid, her nipples hardened and a gush of wetness between her thighs signaled her readiness to accept the invitation being offered. As she knelt to remove his greaves, she took his quivering cock into her mouth. Garrus inhaled sharply and plunged his hands into her hair, arching his back and forcing himself in deeper. She worked him expertly with her lips and tongue, surging forward then pulling away slowly, suckling him. With a sudden movement, he pulled away.

"No fair, Shepard." His words came out somewhere between a groan and a growl. He picked her up and placed her on the bed before bending over and yanking off the remains of his armor. When he stood up, his plans for beginning at her neck and nibbling his way to the nest of un-dyed, flame-red curls between her legs disappeared - along with his breath and most of his conscious thought processes.

Shepard was lying on her back with her knees bent and her legs spread; moisture glistened at the entrance to the warm passage that he ached for. Garrus' cock became a compass needle and Shepard was true north. He grasped her raised knees and thrust into her, sheathing himself completely; they both cried out. He gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure, determined not to come so soon. Shepard arched her back, her hips beginning to move in a maddening rhythm. He pulled back slowly, and thrust again. _She is _so_ tight, and hot, and…_ As the walls of her core gripped him, fireworks went off behind his eyes. "Ah hell, Shepard" he growled as his orgasm took him; he came in wave after glorious wave and his hips took on a life of their own, pounding into Linda as he filled her with the essence of his completion. As he continued to thrust, she cried out in release and shuddered beneath him in the throes of her own orgasm and still his continued. The tsunami of his ecstasy finally threw him to shore, gasping for air and he fell, catching his weight on his arms and rolling slightly to the side to keep from crushing Linda with the bony ridge down his chest.

Once her breathing returned to normal, Shepard laughed - a low, sultry sound. Her voice had fallen into the lower register that it attained when she had been well laid; it was the voice that would have made him blush were he capable of doing so. "We haven't made love in months, and all you can say is 'Ah hell, Shepard?'"

"Well, _that_ wasn't exactly what I had in mind." He gestured, encompassing all of their recently completed activities.

Shepard arched a brow, the simple gesture speaking volumes.

He fumbled for words in an effort to explain. "Ok, it _was_ what I had in mind. I just didn't intend for it to happen quite so… fast."

Shifting slightly, Linda stretched and began nibbling on the soft skin of his neck as her fingertips sought the sensitive skin between his plates. She was practically purring as she asked, "So, exactly what _did_ you have in mind?"

Once again, Garrus found himself at a loss for words. His higher brain functions seemed to turn off as the throbbing in his groin began again; his cock twitched briefly against his belly before once again standing at attention. Shepard chuckled in pleasure at the results of her ministrations. She moved her lips to his mandibles, tracing their outline with her tongue before brushing her lips lightly across his mouth. When he raised his head, planning to increase the pressure of the kiss, she thrust her tongue into his mouth, causing him to groan in pleasure. Their tongues joined briefly in a warm, wet dance of promise.

Pulling away, Shepard slowly worked her way down Garrus' body, lingering over those areas that she knew to be extra sensitive. When she finally reached her goal, his erection was straining toward the ceiling, dew-like drops of semen trickling down the shaft. Their eyes locked as she deliberately licked the drops and swallowed, then licked her lips as though savoring a favorite dessert. He was ready to come as soon as she took him in her mouth, but she had other plans. She licked, nibbled, and sucked until he was trembling on the verge of orgasm, then stopped; she did this not once, but over and over. He dug his hands into the covers, in danger of shredding them even though his talons were blunted. Finally, as he was beginning to see black spots before his eyes – apparently from forgetting to breath – Linda straddled his hips and ever…. so…. slowly…. eased him inside. It quickly became apparent that she intended to ride him slowly, continuing to bring him to the brink of orgasm and backing off. However, he had other ideas.

Grabbing her by the waist, he flipped her over and pulled out before straddling her, pinning his engorged penis between them. He pulled her arms over her head, firmly pinning her wrists with one hand before lowering his mouth to her neck and teasing her relentlessly; he used his rough skin against her neck in the way that he knew drove her wild. She jumped, arching her back, her breasts begging to be touched. Being a gentleman, he couldn't refuse such a request from a lady, so he turned his attentions - and his mouth – to them. Her nipples were already hard, so he suckled them before blowing across them gently, the sensation making Shepard moan and press her hips against his. He thrust into her quickly, twice, then pulled out and lowered his mouth to the swollen flesh between her legs. As she cried out, he worked her relentlessly with his tongue, until she whimpered, begging for release. He moved his mouth lower, filling her with his tongue and she came, screaming his name. He allowed her a moment to catch her breath before raising his mouth and working her sex once again; he felt her surprise as another climax began to build. This time, he thrust into her hard and climaxed immediately, a growl ripping from his throat as he poured into her. His climax triggered hers and she bucked beneath him, screaming until her voice gave out. Replete, he managed to pull her into his arms as sleep claimed them both.

####

Linda awoke later to the sensation of something brushing across her skin. She opened her eyes to find Garrus gently running his hand over her breasts, his expression serious. His touch was reverent, not demanding.

"Hey, you." She rolled onto her side, facing him. She reached out and lifted his head so their eyes met. "Promise me something?"

"What?" He turned his head slightly, pressing a kiss into her hand.

"Promise me that we won't go so long without making love again."

"Oh, I promise." He pulled her into his arms and put his words into action. This time, they made love slowly, gently, as they whispered the words that they each needed to say, and hear.

As they lay gasping, bodies still joined and twitching with the aftershocks of orgasm, Shepard's stomach growled loudly - just as a knock sounded at the door. Garrus laughed and said, "Perfect timing." He pulled out of Shepard reluctantly and helped her to her feet. Stepping into the bathroom he came back with two fuzzy white robes and handed one to her as he shrugged into the other.

One look at her lover sent Linda into gales of laughter. The sleeves of the robe hit Garrus just below the elbows, while the hem stopped just above his knees. His chest was fully exposed as his bony collar kept the halves from overlapping properly. Only the pieces of the fabric belt dangling from his narrow waist gave the slightest cover to his nether regions.

He placed his hands on his hips indignantly. "What?"

The pose did nothing to improve the situation and Shepard had to sit back down on the bed until she could regain the power of speech. "Let's just say that bathrobes weren't designed with turians in mind." She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood on tip-toe to give him a kiss on the mandible. "But don't worry, you're always handsome to me, no matter what you're wearing. Or not wearing." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

The belt on Garrus' robe waggled back, suggesting an enthusiastic reaction on his part. "You're insatiable." He reached for Shepard's hand and pulled her closer. "Did I ever tell you how much I like that in a woman?"

Her stomach growled again. "You can tell me while we eat." Glancing around the room she asked, "Is there any food here?"

Garrus strode to the door and opened it, revealing a food service cart covered with a wide variety of human and turian food. He wheeled the cart to the table and seated Shepard with a flourish. He was pleased to see her eat with all of the gusto that he remembered from their last mission.

Once their hunger was assuaged, they moved to the pillows in front of the fireplace, champagne flutes in hand. As they cuddled, Garrus draped his arm around Linda's shoulder; she reached up and took his hand in hers. "This is wonderful, Garrus." She looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye. "But rose petals? Champagne? I'm impressed."

He ducked his head sheepishly. "Well, not _all_ of the vids that Joker gave me were about sleeping together." He shrugged, seeming embarrassed. "He said that those vids are about what men want, but that women want romance. He also gave me some vids that he called 'chick flicks' to use as reference." He waved his hand at the room. "This seemed appropriate. I wanted to do something special for you, something to show you how much I love you."

Linda's heart ached at the sincerity in his voice and her eyes filled with tears; she blinked rapidly to clear them. She turned so that she could place a hand on each of Garrus' cheeks before kissing him soundly on the mouth. "Thank you. No one has ever done anything like this for me." The way his face lit up touched her heart even more. "But, don't get too dependent on Joker's vids. You do just fine in the romance department without them."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

They sipped champagne in silence for several minutes before Shepard spoke again. "We haven't had much time to talk since Menae. You said that you father and sister were on Palaven. What about your mother?"

Garrus' entire body sagged. "Mom died shortly after I got home."

"Oh, Garrus! I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, resting his head on her shoulder. "I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could have met her."

"You would have like her. And she would have liked you. I told her about you."

"Really?"

He nodded against her chest. "Corpalis Syndrome is a cruel disease, but there were a few good days mixed in with the bad. On those days, it was almost like old times. I told her about you - about us. I told her that I love you."

"What did she think about you being involved with a human?"

"She was thrilled that I had found someone. She was always afraid that I would spend my life too consumed by my work to have a real relationship. As for you being human, that sort of thing didn't matter to her. All she cared about was that I am happy – that _we_ are happy." He sighed. "My mom was a remarkable woman."

"I know."

Startled, Garrus pulled back to look her in the eyes.

Shepard smiled as she told him, "I know because her _son_ is a remarkable man. I can see your mom in the man that you are – the man that she raised you to be."

A tear trickled down his cheek, unheeded. "Thank you, Shepard. I think that's the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me." He sat up and faced her. "Now, it's time for you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"No more separations - we stay together from now on. Being apart while you were in detention was hard enough, but then…" His voice broke. "I thought I would never see you again. I know that nothing is certain in this war, but whatever lies ahead, we face it together. We live or die together. Deal?"

"Deal."

They spent the remainder of the night alternately making love and sleeping, with one aborted attempt at intercourse in the hot tub. Linda had never realized how nervous Garrus was around water. Between his nerves and the rather unpleasant sensation of being covered in wet rose petals, they decided that while it looked romantic on the surface, the reality left a lot to be desired.

They arose early and breakfasted in silence, neither of them ready to return to the real world and the myriad of responsibilities lined up outside, waiting to pounce. They made their way to the door hand in hand. Linda stopped for one last look around the room.

Garrus reached out and fingered some of the violet strands of hair that had fallen to frame her face. "There's one more thing that I need to tell you, Shepard."

She arched a brow inquiringly.

"When we get back to the Normandy, I'm moving in with you."

"Aren't you worried about what the crew might think? Not to mention Admiral Hackett and Primarch Victus?"

He shook his head vigorously. "In the past, it might have bothered me. But, as I said before, now I just don't give a damn."

"Now you're talking." She gave him a wink. "It's about time. My cabin just hasn't been the same without you."

After one final kiss, they headed back into the reality of the war-torn galaxy, refreshed and ready to take on the Reapers bare-handed if necessary.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Shepard!" Kaidan caught up with his Commander at the Normandy's memorial wall. "Just the person I was looking for."

Linda finished sliding the new name plaque into position before turning to face him. "What can I do for you, Kaidan?"

"I just wanted to tell you that you were right – about the Cerberus scientists, I mean." He ran a hand through his dark hair and shifted awkwardly. "They were good people, just trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. They just made a big mistake in judgment – and it almost cost them everything. I'm glad we were there to save them." He hung his head. "I know that you tried to tell me before, but I can be a little hard to convince sometimes."

"A little?" She snorted. "Why do you think I selected you for the mission? I knew that you wouldn't believe me until you saw the proof with your own eyes."

"Touché." In an effort to change the subject, Kadian glanced at the name she had just added. "Thane Krios? Who was he?"

"A former team member. A friend. A good man. Another victim of Cerberus. He deserved better than to die at their hands."

Garrus joined them in time to hear Shepard's last statement. "I disagree, Shepard. Rather than dying a slow, painful death as a result of Kepral's syndrome, Thane died an honorable death defending his friends and a cause that he believed in. It was a fitting end, a good death."

She ran her fingers lightly over Thane's name before turning and standing on tiptoe to give Garrus a kiss. "Thank you. You can always help me see things from a different perspective." She gave him a slight smile, squeezed Kaidan's arm in farewell, and then made her way to the elevator and the mountain of work waiting in her cabin.

The men watched her walk away. When the elevator doors closed, Kaidan turned to Garrus.

"Is she okay? I'm kind of worried about her."

"She's as good as she can be for a woman with the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders." Garrus began walking toward the lounge and indicated that Kaidan should follow him; they grabbed drinks before sitting on the couch. "Shepard has lost too many friends and she takes each death as a personal failure. The constant missions are wearing on her and she doesn't sleep well." He turned his glass in his fingers, its contents untouched. "She's working herself to the point of exhaustion trying to find the Catalyst and every time she turns around Hackett is on vid-comm telling her that she needs to be doing more." He turned a steely grey gaze on Kaidan. "I'm pretty damn close to sabotaging the vid-comm equipment."

Kaidan laughed and tossed back the last of his drink. "Let me know if you need help." Standing up, he placed his empty glass on the bar and then turned back to face Garrus. "Thank you."

"For what?" The turian sounded confused.

"For being the man that Shepard needs. For taking care of her and loving her."

Garrus raised his glass in a salute. "My pleasure."

####

"You did it! Thank you, Shepard!" An ecstatic Tali threw her arms around Linda. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Before Linda knew what was happening, she was being lifted off her feet and swung around – in danger of being slammed into the shuttle walls. She gave a bark of shocked laughter. "Easy, Tali. I break – so does the shuttle."

"Oh. Sorry." The quarian carefully placed her friend back on her feet.

"Wow!" Shepard couldn't disguise her surprise. "I never knew you were so… strong."

"I'm not usually. I guess it's the adrenaline." Tali wheeled on Garrus. The turian leaned against the shuttle wall, a distant look on his face. "Garrus?"

"What? Oh. I'm happy for you Tali, but how about we just shake on it?" He held out one hand which she shook with enthusiasm. As soon as she released him, he settled back into himself.

Shepard cast a glance at her lover. He hadn't been himself since the battle with the Reaper on Rannoch, but he had steadfastly refused her attempts to find out what was wrong. _Oh, well. We're all entitled to a bad day now and then. Maybe this will help…_

"EDI? Patch me through to the Normandy, please."

"Aye, Commander. Proceed when ready."

"Attention Normandy. We've been through a lot together since the Reapers invaded – and we have accomplished a lot. But all too frequently the good has been tinged with bad. But today was different. Today the quarians have reclaimed their homeworld." Shepard smiled as Tali whooped in the background. "With the aid of the geth, they will begin rebuilding immediately. Both races will also be assisting us with the Crucible _and_ in the battle to save Earth."

EDI opened the channel so that Shepard's team could hear the cheers from the Normandy. Linda waited for the noise to die down a bit before she continued.

"I can't grant everyone shore leave, but we have definitely earned a reprieve. Tonight, while we remain in orbit around Rannoch, we are all going to let our hair down a bit. Effective immediately, all duty shifts are temporarily suspended. EDI will monitor all systems and notify us of any issues that need to be addressed. The rest of us are going to _PARTY_ – and that's an order."

####

When the elevator doors opened, Linda found herself trapped inside by the wall of gyrating humanity in front of her. The party was in full swing and was rapidly spreading across the entire crew deck. "Sorry, Commander." The crowd pressed together as best they could and she stepped into their midst.

"At ease," she waved at them to continue and began plowing her way through the revelers en route to the lounge. Music blared through the speakers – courtesy of Joker. With all of the arms waving in the air in the tight quarters, Shepard was sure that more than one crew member would be sporting a black eye in the morning. She ducked as a hand came dangerously close to her head and chuckled at how close she had come to fulfilling her own prediction.

Several minutes later she succeeded in pushing her way to the bar where James was manfully pouring drinks – even though he was more than a little distracted by the rather inebriated quarian dancing on the bar top.

"Shit, Shepard." James' eyes were huge as he turned to look at her. "I though you filled out a uniform like nobody's business…" His eyes drifted to Tali and back to her. "But, damn…."

"Easy, James. You're drooling." She laughed. "How about pouring me a couple of…"

"Here you go." James shoved two drinks across the bar. "So, do you think I have a chance with her?"

Tali chose that moment to slide down to the floor and throw her arms around James. "James, ishn't it? We haven't – _hic_ – really had a schance to get to know each other. _Hic_. Why don't we go shomewhere quiet and get better – _hic_ – acquainted?"

"Right this way." James slid his arm around Tali's waist without hesitation and escorted her from the room, putting his size to good use. He cleared a path through the crowd in record time.

Shepard just shook her head as she watched them go. "EDI, where can I find Garrus?"

"Garrus is in the starboard observatory."

"Thank you." Linda grabbed her drinks and stepped into the remains of the path that James had cleared.

When she entered the observatory, she found Garrus leaning against the window staring at the stars. The party had not yet spread to his location - he was the only one in the room.

"Hey, handsome." Shepard realized that she was shouting; the sound in the observatory had been turned down to a reasonable level, but her ears were still ringing from the volume of the music outside. She grimaced and lowered her voice. "Here, I brought you a drink." She handed Garrus a glass as she joined him by the window.

"Thanks." He glanced down briefly. "What is it?"

"That's a good question. Apparently, drinks tonight were the bartender's choice so all I can tell you is… Well, it's green."

Garrus chuckled, took Linda's hand in his and led her to the couch where she snuggled against his side.

"Are you okay? You've been extremely quiet all afternoon." She tilted her head back to look up at him. "And, it's certainly not like you to miss a party."

"I'm fine, Shepard. It's just needed some time alone. Some time to think."

"About what?"

"You scared the hell out of me this afternoon. What were you thinking? Jumping off of the hovercraft to face a Reaper - single-handedly." He rubbed his hand over his face and Linda was startled to realize that he was actually a lighter shade of grey than normal. She really _had_ scared him.

He scowled down at her. "I would shake you, but I've tried that before and it didn't do any good." He leaned closer and growled, "Next time, I am going to turn you over my knee and give you the spanking that you so richly deserve." He held one hand up to keep her from speaking. "And before you say anything, I can promise you that it _won't_ be the kind of spanking that leads to sex later."

"I'm sorry." She gave him a rather sheepish look. "It was pretty stupid wasn't it?" Sitting up, she turned to face him and rested her hand on his mandible. "All I can say is that I'm sorry. I would never do anything to scare you – or hurt you – intentionally."

"I know." He tucked an errant strand of violet hair behind her ear. "I love you just the way you are. But sometimes…"

"I know." She smiled as she echoed his words. "Would it help if we joined the party? My dancing will make you look good."

Garrus stood up and stretched, then grinned down at Linda as he held his hand out to her. "Don't kid yourself Shepard. I _always_ look good."

####

_Shepard batted at the flames, determined to put them out. They boy simply watched, his expression never changing. The smoke clogged her lungs; she couldn't breathe. She clutched her chest, struggling to pull in air… _

"Shepard – wake up!" Garrus shook her. "Come on, Linda; it's just a dream. Wake up!"

Her eyes flew open, but still she struggled to breathe.

"It's okay. I'm here. Everything is alright." Strong arms engulfed her and Garrus began stroking her sweat-soaked hair away from her face as he continued to utter reassurances. "Shhh, you're alright."

She held onto his arms, relishing the feel of his skin beneath her hands and focused on the sound of his voice. Gradually, her breathing returned to normal and flames no longer flickered at the edge of her vision.

"Was it the same dream?"

She nodded. "It's always the same."

"You know, you never have told me what your nightmares are about. Maybe it will help if you talk about it."

She curled up on her side, her head resting on his shoulder, her legs entwined with his. "You know, this is still my favorite place in the whole galaxy."

"Mine too." A chuckle rumbled through his chest. "But, that isn't going to get you out of telling me about your dream. Start talking."

Slowly, she told him about the boy. "I saw him the day of the Reaper attack. The first time, I was in my room, re-reading the last message that I had received from you. I looked out the window, and there he was – a typical little boy. He had a toy fighter and was running around – probably saving the world from some sort of terrible alien invasion." Tears tinged her voice. "After the attack, Anderson and I were making our way through the rubble, trying to get to the Normandy; the boy was hiding in some duct work. I tried to get him out, to help him – but he ran away. He was so scared. Later, I saw him get on to a shuttle full of refugees. The shuttle launched just as the Normandy did – a Reaper shot it from the sky. There is no way that anyone survived."

Garrus simply held her as she was overtaken by a fresh wave of grief. Once her emotions were under control, she continued.

"Of all of the millions that have died, his face is the one that haunts my dreams."

"You know, his death was not your fault. You tried to help him. Every day we get a little closer to the Catalyst and ending this war." He angled his head to look her in the eyes. "It will end. There will be a day when no more children will die due to the Reapers." His mandibles flared in a smile. "And we will adopt several orphans and help them rebuild their lives."

Shepard returned his smile, her eyes still glistening with tears, but this time they were tears of gratitude. "Have I told you recently how good you are for me?"

"I don't mind if you tell me again."

"I've got a better idea." She pulled herself into a sitting position, straddled him and began running her hands over his body. "Showing is always better than telling."

####

After the victory on Rannoch, a glimmer of hope had shone through the darkness spreading through the galaxy. The glimmer had grown stronger with the news that the asari had an artifact that might be the final piece needed to help locate the Catalyst. Now this. Shepard hung her head, struggling to deal with the news. Thessia was under heavy Reaper attack and Joker couldn't raise the team of scientists waiting for them at the temple.

"Shepard!" Liara caught up with her on the bridge. "That's my home down there! I have to go."

"Then get to the shuttle and let's do this."

####

Shepard ended the vid-comm with the asari councilor and sank to the floor, her head in her hands. _There is just no good way to tell someone that their homeworld has fallen to the Reapers_. Nausea and anger battled for control of her body – anger was rapidly winning.

Liara was beyond inconsolable and Shepard could do nothing to help her. She could no longer speak empty platitudes and tell her that everything would get better. She wasn't sure that she believed it herself. Cerberus had literally snatched the last clue to the location of the Catalyst from their fingers and disappeared. The hope that had shone so brightly was no longer even a spark. All she could do was hold her friend as she watched her planet die.

This was the last straw. Linda made her way to her cabin, blinded with rage. She didn't even acknowledge the crew members that spoke to her as she passed.

####

Garrus tapped his fork against his glass. "This meeting of the Normandy Smart Ass club will now come to order."

Joker had joined James and Garrus as a member of the NSA. The three of them gathered for food, drink, and bullshit as often as possible. Just as they were settling down to a heaping helping of tall tales, EDI interrupted.

"Garrus! Shepard needs you in her cabin – now!"

He didn't hesitate. He leapt from his chair so quickly that he was at the elevator before it hit the floor. He hit the call button repeatedly, cursing the Cerberus engineers that failed to include stairs in their redesign of the Normandy. "EDI, what's going on?"

"I don't know. I've never seen her like this."

He stepped into Shepard's cabin just as a datapad shattered against the wall by his head. Her office was in complete disarray, papers and datapads strewn everywhere. He ducked as random objects sailed through the air.

"Linda! What is going on?" He reached for her arms in an effort to draw her close and soothe her, but she fought him.

Tears of sheer anger ran down her cheeks. Her eyes were wild as she searched for something else to destroy. Before he could stop her she pulled away and ran to the shelves of models that she had collected so meticulously and began hurling them to the floor and flinging them against the walls.

"Thessia has fallen."

_Smash_.

"Another planet lost because _Commander Shepard_ failed to get there in time."

_Crash_.

She looked at him with anguish in her eyes. "Those asari commandos _died_ because they stayed to cover us. They died because _I_ asked them to."

_Crunch_.

"And for what? Nothing! Cerberus has the artifact and will soon have the Catalyst. We've lost! Everything we've done, everything that we've gone through, all of the friends that have died helping – it was all for nothing!"

"No, Shepard! None of this is your fault." This time he grabbed her and pinned her arms to her side. She struggled but was no match for his strength. "You _tried_ to warn everyone that the Reapers were coming, but they wouldn't listen – they have no one to blame but themselves."

Shepard continued to struggle against him, alternately sobbing and laughing.

"The commandos would have died anyway. They would have fought to their last breath to save their planet - if they could have. Instead, they fought to their last breath to save _you_, their only chance at helping to save the rest of the galaxy from their fate."

In all their years together, he had never seen Linda like this. He was unable to calm her and her sobs now bordered on hysteria.

"EDI! Get the doctor here – now!"


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Sleep. Glorious, dreamless sleep. Slowly, Linda awakened, reveling in the feeling of being well-rested – a feeling that she had not had for some time. As she gradually regained awareness of her surroundings, she became aware of a familiar rhythmic, grating sound that she couldn't quite place. Finally prying her eyes open, she found Garrus asleep next to her, the sound issuing from his gaping mouth. He was snoring, a small puddle of drool on his pillow. She had never known him to sleep so hard; he usually awoke when she did. She reached a hand out to… what? Wake him? Shake him? Check him for a fever?

"Don't. He needs to sleep."

Startled, Shepard rolled over to find Dr. Chakwas sitting on the edge of a cot that had been placed on the floor by her bed.

"Doc? What's going on?"

"You, my dear Commander, were pretty damn near a nervous breakdown when Garrus called me. And no wonder, with as little sleep as you have had recently." The doctor's steel grey brows drew down into a scowl. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have given you something that would have helped you sleep – _without_ dreaming and _without_ impairing your ability to function when awake."

"I'm sorry." Linda ducked her head as her cheeks reddened. "Apparently, I'm an idiot. It just never dawned on me to talk to you about it."

"It's a good thing that man of yours is a little more level-headed," the doctor snorted. "And I do mean a _little_. When I got here and saw the state you were in, I sedated you. Garrus insisted that he would watch over you. Which he did – until he too, was at the point of exhaustion." She glanced over at the snoring turian. "I finally convinced him to get some sleep – but only by threatening him. I told him that if he didn't get some sleep voluntarily, I would sedate him as well. He has been out for almost twenty-four hours."

"A full day? How long have _I_ been out?" Shepard glanced frantically at the chronometer by her bed only to find that it had been moved.

"You have been asleep for three days. I kept you sedated until all of my scans showed that you had recovered."

"Three days!" Linda leapt to her feet, only to become dizzy at the sudden change of altitude. "Sprits, doc. You should have woken me earlier. I've got to find the Illusive Man and the Catalyst."

"_Sit. Down._"

Startled by the steel in the doctor's voice, Shepard sat.

"It may come a surprise to you Commander, but you have a team of highly intelligent, resourceful people working with you. You don't have to do _everything_ by yourself." Her eyes flashed in warning as Linda again moved to get up. "While you have been getting some much needed rest, your team has been working around the clock to track the Illusive Man and Traynor is pretty sure that she has found him."

This time when Shepard attempted to get up, the doctor threatened her with a loaded hypo spray.

"Don't push me, Shepard. I'm armed and I _will_ sedate you again if necessary. Now, will you be a good girl or do things have to get ugly?"

"I'll be good," Linda replied meekly as she settled back against the headboard of her bed.

"Good. Your team is ready to brief you, but only when I give them the go ahead. You are to stay in your cabin until Garrus awakes – _of his own free will_. If you wake him up, there will be hell to pay. And if you are wondering how I will know – EDI will tell me. Won't you EDI?"

"Yes, doctor."

Turning back to Shepard, the doctor continued. "I will have a meal delivered to you shortly, but you are not to leave this room. If you so much as set a toe near the door…"

"I know, I know. EDI will tell you." Linda raised her hands in surrender.

"Now, you're learning." The doctor stood up and patted Shepard on the shoulder before leaving.

Linda stood up and walked around her cabin; she needed some physical activity after so long in bed. She stopped when she realized that the top of her desk, the coffee table and pretty much every other flat surface in her room was covered with models of ships. Suddenly, she remembered smashing them during the course of her meltdown. Looking at them closely, she realized that they had been meticulously glued back together; it was almost impossible to tell that they had been damaged. There was only one person that she knew that was capable of such detailed work, and he was currently sleeping in her bed.

Time passed and no food arrived. Since she couldn't work on anything, Shepard decided to lay back down with Garrus. As soon as she snuggled up with him, she was out like a light. The next time she awoke he was up and dressed, preparing to dig into a tray of food. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she joined him, pleased to find that a tray awaited her as well. The smells arising from it made her stomach growl.

The pair ate in a companionable silence, much too hungry to converse until their appetites had been sated. As she pushed her tray away, Linda was overcome by embarrassment. She had never acted like that before. She took a deep breath and looked up only to find Garrus' grey eyes leveled on her.

"Feel better?"

"Much." A blush spread over her face and neck. "I'm sorry. I've never acted like that - ever. I don't know what happened, but suddenly everything," she gestured, her motions encompassing the entire galaxy, "was too much to bear."

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's a miracle that you haven't broken down before." He reached out and gathered her into his arms. "No one should have to bear the burdens that you are carrying; unfortunately, you must. Not sleeping hasn't made it any easier." A low growl rumbled through his chest. "If I ever get to see Hackett in person again, I'm going to punch him. He should be ashamed for the way he harangues you. It's impossible to work any harder than you are – than we all are."

Shepard couldn't help but giggle at the image of Garrus punching the Admiral. She stored the image away to call up the next time he was harassing her via vid-comm.

She picked up the nearest model and held it close for a better inspection. "You fixed all of these?"

"I had to have _something_ to do while you were sleeping." He reached out and ran his talon down the nearly invisible lines where he had joined the broken pieces. "You see this? Now that it has been reinforced with glue, it's stronger where it was broken." He lifted his hand and traced the contours of her cheek with his thumb. "So are you."

Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled deeply of the scent that was uniquely Shepard - if determination had a smell, this would be it. "You are the strongest person that I know. You hit a rough patch, and that's okay. You're on the other side now, stronger than ever." He pulled back and searched her face, his gaze serious. "Are you ready to end this?"

"Yes."

"Good. The rest of the team is waiting in the War Room. Doctor Chakwas has given them approval to brief you."

####

"Excellent work, Traynor. You've given us a chance to turn this battle around – thank you." Linda squeezed the Specialist's arm in gratitude before turning to the rest of the team. "There is definitely something strange happening on Horizon – I received an email from Oriana Lawson indicating that she is on the planet and in trouble."

"Garrus, Kaidan – you're with me. It's time we pay another visit to my least favorite planet – and we're not coming back without the information that we need to find the Illusive Man."

####

"EDI – please put me through to the rest of the ship."

"Aye, Commander. Proceed when ready."

Shepard paused to gather her thoughts before speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, the mission to Horizon was a success. With the data we gathered there, Admiral Hackett has been able to locate the Illusive Man's headquarters. There is no way that we can hide an attack of the size of the one required against Cerberus from the Reapers. Once our attack begins, it marks the beginning of our assault on the Reapers – with or without the Catalyst. The battle that faces us now is like none other the galaxy has ever seen – our survival, and the survival of millions of others rests on the outcome. It won't be easy, and I won't promise that we will come out of it alive – in all likelihood, some of us won't. I am postponing giving the Admiral the go-ahead for a few hours so that you can tie up any loose ends that you may have. Regardless of the outcome, it has been my honor to serve with each and every one of you. Shepard out."

"Well said."

Shepard jumped; she hadn't realized that Garrus had entered the cabin as she spoke. She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his; a slight shiver ran through her, only to be subdued by his warmth. "We've dodged death so many times. I don't know that we are going to be able to this time." In a small voice, she admitted "I'm scared."

Garrus pressed her against him as hard as he dared; he didn't want her to pass out from lack of oxygen. "You'd be a fool if you weren't – and you are no fool." He leaned over and pressed his forehead to hers. "This fight is no different from any of the others that we have been in – the bullets are just a little bigger. Any of the battles that we have fought could have been our last; any of the bullets that we have dodged could have been 'the one.'"

"I know. It's just that this time… this time just feels so much more real."

"There are other things that are just as real."

She couldn't help but smile as she arched a brow at him. "Such as?"

"The way I feel about you." Garrus swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. "Now, no more talk of battles and bullets. For now, we are the only two in the galaxy and we have all the time in the world." As he spoke, he began undressing her and she returned the favor. They sank into each other's arms and bodies making love slowly, tenderly, as if it were their first – and possibly last – time. Their sounds of pleasure were mingled with words of love – a love that not even death could end.

####

Linda found Garrus in the main battery. "Are you alright?"

"I had friends on the Citadel, Shepard."

"I know. Me too." She slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hundreds of people had taken refuge there. They thought it was a place of safety – we all did. Instead, it was a death trap."

His talons scrapped across the top of his workstation, his armor leaving gouges in the smooth surface. "We're going to end this, right? We're going to make the Reapers pay?"

"Yes, we are – and the payback starts now. Gear up – you're going with me on the shuttle. Meet me in the cargo bay."

####

"Liara? Commander Shepard has left the Normandy."

"Thank you, Traynor. Please meet me at her cabin – we have work to do."

####

Shepard made her way through the ruins of London to Anderson's location, bidding farewell to her teammates as she encountered them. Her heart broke a little more with each goodbye, but the hardest was yet to come. Climbing a pile of rubble, she paused outside of a door – turian voices were issuing from the room on the other side, Garrus' among them.

She stepped into the shadows to compose herself before entering; her throat was tight with unshed tears. _How? How do you say goodbye to the one that you love more than life itself?_ Her gaze wandered to the heavens.

"God, if you're there, I just want to go on record as saying that this _sucks_. Sure, the whole Reaper invasion thing, but that's not what I mean. I mean the fact that I finally found the man that was meant for me – the man that is the other half of my heart and now…. Well, you and I both know that I'm probably not going to come out of this alive – and that _really_ sucks. If I have to die to stop the Reapers, then so be it, but please – take care of Garrus for me. He's a good man." She stepped out the shadows, but paused before opening the door to add, "Oh, and God? Thank you for the time we had together."

####

Only one task remained – get someone to the beam and onboard the Citadel. The engine of the armored personnel carrier growled as it struggled through the devastated streets of London. The team onboard was silent – the speeches had all been made and now everyone was silent, lost in their own thoughts. Linda stood near Garrus, one hand braced on the ceiling, her thigh just touching his. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the unique sound made by a Reaper as it unleashed death on everything in its path. The driver swerved sharply, narrowly missing the energy beam as it slashed by, but he was unable to avoid the gaping hole left by its passage; the vehicle came to an abrupt halt, sending Shepard and her team flying.

"Is everyone alright?" Linda pulled herself to a sitting position, checking herself for injuries as she did so. The interior lights flickered and sparks jumped fitfully from dangling wires making it difficult for her to see the others. She sighed with relief as everyone began pulling themselves to their feet and assisting those that were trapped under fallen objects. Everyone was a bit shaken, but no major injuries were sustained.

"Well, it looks like from here we go on foot," Anderson exclaimed, motioning for James to join him. Metal screeched as the two men forced the damaged door open. They climbed out and picked off the Reaper forces converging on their location as the others recovered their weapons and joined them.

Shepard reached for the edge of the door and paused as Garrus joined her. Grey eyes met blue, but no words were spoken – none were necessary. Linda gave him a slight smile and held out her hand. Garrus twined his fingers in hers and squeezed gently. Then, side-by-side and hand-in-hand, they stepped into Hell – together.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

It was over. Somehow, Shepard and her team had done it. The Reapers were no more.

Kaidan Alenko stood at the window of the makeshift Alliance HQ in London, watching the sunrise. The light brightened slowly, through air that was still filled with smoke and dust from the battle that had raged for so long. He had volunteered to walk through the "no man's land" traveled by the members of Shepard's team and Hammer ground forces as they battled to reach the Citadel, in order to look for survivors and note the locations of bodies so that they could be given proper burials. And while he _would_ be doing those things, in his heart of hearts he knew that he had volunteered so that he could look for Shepard. It was the least that he could do for her after their years together. He rubbed his hand over his face, the stubble on his cheeks scraping roughly against his palm. God only knew that "the least" was all that he _had_ done for her over the past couple of years. He knew that he had not been the kind of friend – hell, the kind of _man_ - that he should have been.

"I'm beginning my search now." He spoke into his comm-link as he jumped nimbly onto the pile of rubble below. "All medical personnel, be on alert. If there _are_ survivors, there won't be any time to waste."

"Standing by, Major." The voice that responded was none other than that of Dr. Karin Chakwas. She had insisted on leaving the Normandy with the others, stating that there would be more need for her skills on the ground than onboard the ship. Unfortunately, she was correct. The number of casualties was astronomical.

Kaidan took a deep, steadying breath and immediately regretted it. The stench of death was overwhelming. It had been easy to ignore when every moment was spent just trying to survive to the next; now that that level of intensity was gone… It sickened him to think of the thousands upon thousands of bodies in the rubble that would never have suitable funerals.

His footsteps crunched loudly in the silence; the ground was covered with debris. He stopped by the shattered remains of a vehicle where he found the body of a turian soldier. He noted the body's location with a nav point on his omni-tool. As he looked around for others, he was surprised at the number of Reaper forces surrounding them. The turian had not gone down without a hell of a fight. "Good job, soldier." Kaidan gave the body a salute of respect before continuing.

He continued his laborious route, climbing over rubble, searching the lower levels of buildings – when it was safe to do so. He had to stop when he found the body of an infant crushed beneath a massive block of concrete. He vomited, heaving until he could heave no more, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. Somehow, that small body seemed to be the ultimate reminder of all that had been lost.

He lost track of time as hour ran into grueling hour of searching and marking the locations of the dead. It was a relief to find a few gravely injured survivors; _finally_ he could do something useful, something to help someone. He stayed with the injured, comforting them and assuring them of their safety until a medical team arrived to take them to the nearest field hospital.

The closer he got to the previous location of the beam, the greater the devastation. He had a clear view of the destruction from the top of the hill near the burned out husk of an armored personnel carrier. Bodies were strewn everywhere; the chance of finding any additional survivors was slim.

Kaidan worked his way carefully down the charred hillside, his boots kicking up small plumes of ash – the ground itself had been burned. The nav points marking the locations of the bodies he had found almost covered his map of the area and his pockets bulged with the dog tags taken from the remains of human soldiers. The medical teams that he had requested waited at the top of the hill – just in case.

He moved toward yet another body. As he reached for the dog tags, he recognized the man before him. "James! Ah, hell." Tears once again flowed freely down his face. He had grown to think of Vega as a friend; he had enjoyed the times they spent together sharing war stories and beer over a game of cards. Finding James' body made it even more real that this was where Shepard had met her end. He closed his friend's eyes and said a short prayer for him before adding his dog tags to his collection and continuing his search.

As he stood and shaded his eyes, looking for any sign of movement among the remaining bodies, an anomaly caught his attention. A wide streak of… _something_ smeared the ground a short distance away. He slid down the hillside to get closer and recognized the smear for what it was. Blood. Turian blood.

_Garrus? _Surely there weren't that many turians involved in the last stand. He followed the streak to a badly injured body collapsed against a ruined tank. Reaching out, he turned the body slightly and recognized the scarred face. It _was_ Garrus. His head lolled back and a low groan issued from the fractured mandibles. _My God – he's alive!_

"Garrus! Hang on – help is coming." Kaidan waved frantically to the medical team, simultaneously opening all channel on his comm unit. "I found a survivor - I need all medical units here on the double." They began making their way across the debris field at a rapid pace. As Kaidan attempted to survey Garrus' wounds, the injured turian fought against him feebly.

"No! Can't… leave…" His talons clutched feebly at the blackened object beneath his body. The movement dislodged char and red oozed to the surface and glimmered in the light.

Blood? Kaidan gently touched the scorched surface and it groaned. _Could it be? _He carefully shifted Garrus to the side, in spite of his feeble attempts to struggle. Looking closer at the figure on the ground, Kaidan saw purple hair sprouting from between the burns and gashes. Checking to make sure that his comm unit was still on, he screamed "Shepard! I found Shepard. She's alive, but won't be for long. Where the hell are the medical teams?"

####

Blackness. Everything was black. But… what was that noise? Getting louder. A banshee! Gun. _Where is my gun?_ Can't move. No. Wait. Something… not right. Reapers are gone. No more banshees. Woman screaming. Why? Getting lighter. Screaming getting closer. Someone help her! Hurts my head. Make it stop. Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!

Light blared into Shepard's eyes, pain seared through her head, her entire body. Screaming – _she_ was screaming. The sound ripped from her throat; the force of it left her gasping in pain.

"Shepard! Easy, Shepard!" Doctor Chakwas grabbed Linda by the shoulders and eased her back onto her bed. "Nurse – get me that hypospray. Stat!" She turned back to her patient. "Shepard – you are badly wounded, badly burned. The wounds have to be debrided. I know it hurts like hell, but it has to be done." She pressed the hypospray against Linda's neck and administered the strongest dose of pain reliever that she dared. "This will help. Hold on."

Shepard heard the hiss of the hypospray and felt the coolness of the medication as it spread through her veins. Everything began to go grey. No. Not again. Not again. Reapers are gone, Garrus is gone. Don't want to stay. She grabbed the doctor's hand with surprising strength. "No. Please – let me go." She was fading fast and struggled to get out the words. "Garrus… bar. Let… go." She collapsed.

Doctor Chakwas motioned to the nurse and they repositioned Shepard in the bed. She cast a critical eye over the vital signs flowing by on the monitor. Shepard was still in critical condition, not out of the woods by any means, but she should be showing _some_ signs of improvement. She wasn't. She turned at a sound behind her. Kaidan entered the room and walked to stand beside her.

"Any change?"

Chakwas shook her head. "No, dammit. At least not for the better." She waved a hand at the monitor. "It's as if she doesn't want to live." She rubbed a hand over her eyes. She was so tired. "No. She _doesn't_ want to live. She just asked me to let her go."

"She spoke?"

"Yes, but it was hard to understand. Her throat is raw from her screams. She said something about letting her go and Garrus… and a bar? It didn't make sense." She looked at Kaidan and saw that he looked as exhausted as she felt. This had to be hard on him. "How is Garrus?"

Kaidan shook his head. "About the same. He's restless. I'm afraid that you may have to tie him to his bed or sedate him to keep him from hurting himself. He keeps calling for Shepard. He seems to be looking for her." His eyes widened as realization dawned. "_He is looking for Shepard at the bar!_ I think I understand." He grabbed the startled nurse by the arm. "Come with me, quickly!" They left the room at a run.

Doctor Chakwas watched them go, confused. She would have followed, but she couldn't leave Shepard. She had to finish debriding her burns before the pain medication wore off. Within minutes, she heard a commotion in the hall – it sounded like a small invasion. When the uproar reached the door, she turned to see what was going on, opening her mouth to order quiet.

Kaidan entered the room, walking backwards, and guiding the end of a bed.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm moving Garrus in here with Shepard. Don't you see? They each think the other is dead – and neither wants to live without the other. I don't understand the whole bar reference, but they can explain that later. Right now, we have to get them to understand that they are both alive and still together." As he talked, he shoved Shepard's bed over, careful not to disconnect, tangle, or otherwise cause problems with any of the tubes or wires connected to her. Once he had enough room, he guided Garrus' bed as they slid it in beside hers. The nurse, Trish, immediately began hooking back up all of the monitoring devices that belonged to Garrus.

Leaning over, Kaidan struggled to get Garrus' attention. "Garrus! Garrus, can you hear me?" Garrus moaned and tried to pull away. "Garrus! It's Kaidan. You've got to listen to me. Shepard is alive! Do you hear me? Shepard is alive!"

Garrus' grey eyes opened slowly, blurred by pain and drugs. "Alive? No. I saw her body. I don't want to be here. I want to go find her. She is waiting for me."

"No, Garrus. She is here – right here in the bed next to you. See for yourself." Kaidan stepped back so that Garrus could see Shepard's bed. The turian struggled to focus his eyes.

Doctor Chakwas immediately understood what Kaidan was trying to do. She leaned over Linda. "Shepard? I hope that you will forgive me. I was so busy being your doctor that I forgot to be your friend. I forgot to tell you that Garrus is alive. He is injured, but he is alive. And he is right here, in this room, next to you." Her eyes went back to the monitor – no change in her vital signs.

"Can she hear you, doc?" Kaidan sounded worried.

"I don't know. She is fairly heavily sedated, but frequently patients can hear even when nothing else appears to be working."

"Shepard?" Garrus' voice was a croak, barely heard over the equipment and the quiet conversation in the room. "Linda?" A tear trickled down his cheek.

"She is sedated Garrus. I don't know if she can hear you." Kaidan glanced between his friends, then moved to the far side of Garrus' bed and nudged it slightly closer to Shepard's. Stepping between them again, he asked Garrus, "Can you give me your hand?"

Comprehension flashed through the turian's eyes. He gritted his teeth and extended his arm as far as he could.

Kaidan took Shepard's limp hand in his, kissed her fingers, and then placed her hand in Garrus'.

A sob tore from Garrus' throat as he felt his lover's hand in his. He closed his talons lightly around the precious fingers, not wanting to hurt them.

A hush fell over the room as everyone held their breath waiting to see what, if anything would happen. Nothing did.

Garrus began lightly stroking his thumb across Shepard's hand - and humming. The humming began low and ragged, but gradually got louder and surer. Something about the tune touched Kaidan. It reminded him of the lullabies that his mother had sung to him when he was a child – the tunes that she used to comfort him when he was tired, injured, or sick.

Suddenly, Shepard gasped as if struggling for air – and then her breathing stopped. Both the doctor and nurse leapt into action without speaking. Doctor Chakwas paled as she checked her friend's pulse. Trish began preparing hyposprays. Garrus continued to hum. The lines on the monitor fluttered and began to fall flat. The call went out for a crash cart.

Just as a technician ran into the room with the cart, Shepard once again gasped. This time, the breath was followed by another, and then another. The monitor showed that her vital signs were slowly returning to normal. For the first time since Kaidan found her, a hint of color touched her pale cheeks. And then, as everyone watched in wonder, her fingers moved and she returned Garrus' grip on her fingers. A smile spread slowly across her face and she fell into a deep, healing sleep.

Garrus shook with sobs of relief, all of his suppressed emotions boiling to the surface. Everyone stepped into the hall just outside of the room and let him cry. Once the muffled sobs faded, they re-entered to find that he too, was asleep - still holding Shepard's hand.

Doctor Chakwas clapped Kaidan on the shoulder, but somehow that wasn't enough. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard enough to make his ribs creak. "Good job, Major. You saved two lives here today." Pulling away, she told him "Now, go and get some rest. You deserve it."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Would you two _stop_ bickering?" Doctor Chakwas stood with her hands on her hips, giving her patients a steely glare. "Or am I going to have to separate you?"

"Sorry, doc." Glancing at her roommate, Shepard added sheepishly, "Sorry, Garrus. I know I'm being a bitch. I'm just so _tired_ of being in this room and in this bed." She winced at the tone of her voice, knowing that she sounded like a petulant child.

"I want you to remember that you said that. In a few days, you will probably regret it." The doctor turned to the open doorway and called, "You can come in now."

A man entered, carrying a variety of equipment. Shepard arched a brow at the doctor.

"This gentleman is here to fit you for your prosthetic." Her gaze softened. "You know how much technology was lost when the Reapers were destroyed. I can't give you a new leg like I would have been able to on the Normandy. However, some of the older prosthetics work just as well, even if they don't look as good." She glanced at Shepard's left leg where it had been amputated just below the knee; the stump had healed nicely and would now be able to bear the pressure of wearing an artificial leg.

"Once your new leg is ready, the real work will begin." The doctor's grey eyes issued a challenge to Shepard's blue ones. "Then we'll find out if you are still as tough as you used to be."

A chuckled issued from Garrus' bed.

"Don't get too cocky, Vakarian. I may have to beat you with my crutches to keep you in line." The old twinkle was back in Shepard's eyes – at least briefly. Garrus' heart soared to see it.

Over the next few days, Linda's constant fidgeting began to get on everyone's nerves. Even grueling physical therapy didn't seem to take the edge off. Doctor Chakwas had not cleared her to leave the hospital, even though Shepard had resorted to begging. When Garrus got in on it as well, the doctor threw her hands up in despair.

"Fine! I give up! I will _not_ dismiss you from the hospital yet, but I will give permission for you to go outside for short periods of time – but only if some goes with you." She held up a hand for silence when everyone started talking excitedly. "As you build up your strength, your outings can get longer." She walked over and laid her hand on Linda's arm. "Just be aware – this is not the Earth that you remember. Things have changed."

It was agreed that Garrus and Shepard would make their first excursion outside after lunch. Shepard would have to be in a wheelchair since her prosthetic was not yet ready and she wasn't yet strong enough to make an extended journey on crutches. Garrus would be able to push the wheelchair and use it to support himself as well. His wounds were only slight less severe than Linda's and although he was healing well, he still had a pronounced limp.

Garrus grinned as Doctor Chakwas and Trish fussed over Linda. They insisted on fixing her hair, getting her fresh pajamas and a robe before helping her into the wheelchair and allowing him to take her away. She caught his eye and rolled hers, but didn't complain; she knew that their actions were an expression of their feelings for her – and their concern over how the experience was going to affect her.

Garrus wheeled Linda out of her room and into the hallway. For the first time she realized that the "hospital" was just one wing of what was once a much larger medical facility – the only wing left standing. Gaping holes marred the outside walls, allowing them to see the remains of what was once London. They didn't speak – just stared at the devastation as they made their way through the halls. Once outside, Garrus didn't know which way to go – rubble still covered the ground, making pushing the chair difficult for someone that wasn't completely steady on his feet yet. As he hesitated, Kaidan rounded the corner, wiping sweat from his forehead. He grinned when he saw them.

"It's good to see you two up and about. Would you like for me to give you a tour? Maybe answer some questions?"

The patients nodded, still somewhat taken aback by the little that they had seen. Kaidan motioned for them to follow him and led them down a debris-free path to a semi-shaded area under a tree that had somehow survived the invasion. It was burned and broken, but still standing and when Shepard looked closer, she noticed small green leaves sprouting on its branches. A tear trickled down her cheek.

Several make-shift benches had been placed in a circle around the base of the tree. Kaidan went to it, placing one hand on its roughened bark and looking up into its branches as he spoke. "We call this the 'Tree of Hope.' It symbolizes humanity – we have been beaten and battered, taken to the brink of extinction. But we fought back, and like this tree, we're still alive, and starting to grow again." He knelt beside Shepard's chair. "And we have you to thank for it."

"No," Linda shook her head. "Not just me. I only played a small role. Turian, asari, krogan, quarian, and geth - so many others fought and died alongside us to make this happen. So many deaths…" She put her hand over her eyes, fighting back sobs.

Kaidan pushed her wheelchair between two of the benches and sat on one side of her. Garrus sat on the other side, taking her hand in his before carefully stretching out his injured leg.

"Yes, there have been countless deaths throughout the galaxy," Kaidan continued his narrative. "But there is still life. Look around, listen, and you will hear it."

Linda closed her eyes and listened intently. The first thing that she heard was quiet – she couldn't remember the last time that she had heard such a loud silence. Slowly, other sounds began making themselves known. She heard the murmur of voices, the sounds of wreckage being cleared, even the chirping of a solitary bird. Life indeed went on.

"Things are already greatly improved over how they were when the Reapers… died." Kaidan's eyes grew distant as he remembered. "At first we were in shock and disbelief – it seemed almost impossible that it was actually over. Then the celebrating began." He laughed. "I'm pretty sure that whatever supply of alcoholic beverages remained was pretty well depleted at that time. I'm also fairly certain that in a few more months, there will be a baby boom. Once the celebrations were over, and the hangovers were gone…" He shrugged. "That's when everyone looked around and began to feel overwhelmed. There was so much death, so much destruction. How did we even begin to recover? It took the children to show us.

"The children were the ones that went into the streets and began moving small rocks, stacking them up, and clearing the ground. We were impressed with their initiative and began following in their footsteps. Then we realized what they were really doing. They gathered piles of stones, then carried them to the nearest Reaper remains and began throwing them at the shell. They threw and they yelled and they kicked the skeleton – and they began to heal. When they began to heal – so did we."

Kaidan turned his dark eyes to his friends. "The only way to heal is one day, one step, at a time." He stood up. "I'll leave you two alone. There are many things that we should discuss, but I don't want to hit you with too much on your first day out." He wagged his finger at both of them. "And, you don't need to stay out too long. Doctor C will have your hides if you do." Giving them a wave, he walked back down the pathway and returned to his duties.

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the sounds of laughter and ruffling Shepard's hair. Since the final battle, her hair had returned to its normal strawberry blonde. Garrus was glad – he had missed seeing the sunlight turn her hair to flame. He reached out and ran his fingers through it, enjoying the silken feel against his skin. Shepard turned to him, her blue eyes still reddened from the tears that she had shed. He slid his hand around her neck and moving closer, pressed her forehead to his. They sat in silence for several minutes.

Finally, Linda spoke meekly. "Can you take me back now? I'm ready to leave."

"Of course. But first," he bent his head lower and pressed his mouth to hers. It was the first kiss that they had shared since… before. Linda sighed against his lips – a sound of pleasure that he had not heard in far too long.

Yes, they shared a hospital room, but they were never truly alone. There was always someone coming in to check on one or the other of them, take their temperature, give them medication, or – Garrus' personal favorite – ask about the state of their bowels. Shepard always laughed when they asked him that question; he was no prude, but he did not wish to discuss the condition of his bowels with anyone. They held hands often and now that their recovery was well under way, cast longing glances at each other frequently. But, actual kissing, much less anything else, had been virtually impossible.

Linda was quiet on the return trip to their room and seemed to withdraw into herself, speaking only when spoken to. Concerned at how overcome she seemed to be by the state of affairs in the outside world, Garrus had an idea. He managed to get Kaidan alone, under the guise of having him help him to his physical therapy session, and laid out his plan.

"That sounds good, Garrus, but I'm not sure how much help I can be." Kaidan's brow furrowed as he thought. "I'll put out some feelers and see what I can come up with." A few days later, he smuggled a package to Garrus and gave him some whispered instructions.

The next time Linda and Garrus went outside, he gave her with the package with a flourish. "This is for you."

She cocked her head at him curiously.

"Go ahead. Open it." He was excited to see her reaction.

She opened the box and pulled out a small silver and black rectangle covered with small buttons and dials. "What is it?"

"It's a digital camera – you take pictures with it. Here…" reaching out he took the device from her and demonstrated how it worked. "You look through here, frame what you want to take a picture of and click this button here. The image is saved to a memory card. It can be downloaded to a computer later, even printed out."

Linda took it back and looked it over carefully, learning the placement of the buttons and asking questions about a few of the other features. She then asked Garrus to push her to the Tree – she wanted her first pictures to be of it. She was as excited as a child at Christmas to find that a pair of birds – robins, she thought – were building a nest there. She took picture after picture of the couple as they selected twigs and leaves and worked together to build their home.

"Thank you!" She clutched the camera to her chest and gave Garrus a look of utter joy.

"You're welcome." He reached out and brushed her hair from her eyes. "I thought this might help you. You've spent much of your time processing life through the scope of a gun; I thought it might be easier for you to process this new world through the scope of a camera."

"I knew there was a reason that I keep you around." She reached out and stroked his mandible. "You're a pretty smart guy."

"And handsome too."

"Absolutely."

####

Soon, Linda's prosthesis was ready. Garrus couldn't help but laugh when he saw it. She had had the metal tube of the leg painted with a red and purple camo pattern, like the armor she had worn when they were working with Cerberus. Fitted with her new leg, she began the grueling process of learning to walk again. It hurt Garrus to watch her struggle and to see her in such pain. He too was still in therapy, but his was not as bad. His legs were almost healed and his limp was much better - soon it would be gone. In spite of the pain that she was in, or maybe because of it, he watched the old determination and fire come back into his lover. Her therapy sessions might leave her shaking and covered with sweat with tears pouring down her cheeks, but she did everything asked of her and more. It did not take her long to begin taking steps on her own, aided only by a cane.

Now that they no longer required constant monitoring, their hospital room had been reconfigured. Several pieces of equipment had been moved out, making room for the chairs that had been brought in for use by their visitors. The rails had also been removed from their beds which had then been pushed together so that they could sleep cuddled up – just like the old days. Garrus was definitely ready to do more than cuddle, but there were still constant interruptions by medical staff. Didn't these people have better things to do? Did they constantly have to wake them up to see if they were sleeping?

Kaidan came to visit them each day, and used the time to fill them in – slowly – on the changes to both Earth and the galaxy. The destruction of the Reapers had also destroyed the relays and any technology based on them – which was more things than it was possible to list. Without the relays, it was too far for space ships to travel between systems – it would take years. Therefore, any of the ships belonging to alien races that had come to Earth's defense in the final battle were stuck there. Ships throughout the galaxy were forced to land on the nearest habitable planet – whether or not it was their homeworld.

Things got off to a tough start for the turians stranded on Earth with a limited supply of dextro-compatible foods. Fortunately, a quarian liveship, fully equipped with hydroponics bays and the seeds necessary to grow foods that both races could eat, had also landed on the planet. Human farmers had immediately come to their aid, assisting with finding local soils compatible with the seeds and began farming immediately so as to have enough food on hands for both races. While that would suffice as a short-term fix, human and turian scientists were working together to genetically engineer cattle that could safely be consumed by the meat-loving turians.

Food issues aside, the biggest problem had been the krogans – no pun intended. With the genophage cured, the once mighty krogan race could begin to rebuild. Wrex had left Urdnot Bakara behind – and pregnant – to come to Earth's defense. Now, he could never go home and would never see his child. He was not happy – nor were the surviving krogan that had come with him.

"They are going to be a problem." Kaidan ran his hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "You know how aggressive the krogan are and now they are stuck here. They frequently stir up trouble and start fights – one day it's going to get out of hand. For now, we are utilizing their strength on demolition crews – tearing down the buildings that are too damaged to restore. It helps us with a task that must be done and gives them a way to work off some of their aggression." He shook his head, looking tired. "It's not a long term solution though. Unfortunately, I don't know what is."

Before anyone could respond, Trish entered the room with meds for both Garrus and Shepard. On the way out, she stopped by Kaidan and smoothed down his hair, giving him a smile; he reached up and squeezed her hand in thanks. Now that she had Kaidan on the hook, Trish put a little extra wiggle in her walk to reel him in. It worked; he quickly bade Shepard and Garrus farewell, and hurried to follow the nurse out.

"I may be wrong, but I think love is in the air." Shepard stared thoughtfully at the door as it closed behind the couple.

"Mmmm." Garrus put his arms around Linda and pulled her close. "It's also in my arms. We should have a few minutes before the next interruption. What do you say we put them to good use?"

Shepard tilted her head back, putting both her lips and neck within easy range. "I still like the way you think, Vakarian."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The door to their room slammed open with a force that had both Linda and Garrus leaping to their feet and reaching for guns that weren't there.

"Shepard?" Liara entered, her gaze flicking rapidly from object to another until it came to rest on Linda's face. "Goddess! You really _are_ alive."

Before Shepard could respond, she found herself holding a sobbing asari. She gave Garrus a wide-eyed look over Liara's shoulder as she attempted to soothe her friend. Jack sauntered into the room, leaned against the wall, crossed her arms and watched the tableau unfold.

"Liara! C'mon, settle down," Linda urged her friend. "Look at me! I'm alive and well and mostly in one piece." It was a poor choice of words – Liara began to cry even harder. Linda just tightened her arms around Liara and moved until they were sitting on the side of the bed, then she simply held her and let her cry herself out.

Once Liara's sobs had subsided into muffled sniffs she sat up and accepted the tissue that Garrus offered her. She spoke hesitantly as she wiped her eyes. "I – we," she motioned at Jack "heard that you were alive…" She reached out and stroked Linda's face gently. "But, I didn't believe it. I had to see for myself. We would have been here sooner, but transportation is still an issue."

"If we hadn't found transport when we did, I think she would have started _walking_ to London," Jack chimed in from her position near the door. She moved to one of the chairs and slouched into it in typical Jack fashion.

Linda squeezed Liara's hand. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Once you left with the Hammer forces, I had to find somewhere to go. Somewhere where I could be of some use, rather than being in the way." Liara shrugged. "I heard a radio burst from Jack – she and her students were under attack. I knew that my biotics would benefit them, so I strong-armed an unsuspecting young lieutenant into flying me to their location."

"I'm glad she did. We were in deep shit when she arrived." Jack shook her head as she remembered. "Reaper forces had surrounded our position and my kids just didn't have the stamina for a pitched battle." She glanced at Shepard adding, "That's why they were assigned to support. However, Liara showed up and showed them how to kick some serious ass." Jack grinned at Liara. "Never underestimate what a seriously pissed off asari can do."

"What about your team, Jack?" Linda asked. "Are the kids alright?"

Jack dropped her head. "Rodriguez didn't make it." She looked back up, tears filling her eyes; she made no move to wipe them away as they began to roll down her cheeks. "Her barriers always were shitty."

Liara moved to her friend's side and took Jack's hand in hers, twining their fingers together. Garrus made a strangled sound and Shepard shot him a glare.

"Rodriguez was the only fatality, although several others were injured. Some seriously." Liara spoke in order to give Jack a chance to regain her composure. "We heard rumors that you had survived, but well… we just couldn't get here any faster."

"What about you, Shepard?" Jack finally found her voice. "I see that you're still with this ugly brute. Surely you can do better."

"Ugly?" Garrus fired back. "_You _are calling _me_ ugly? Have you looked in a mirror recently? Oh, probably not. They break every time you try."

"Why, you scar-faced son of a…"

"Ah, yes. It sounds just like old times." Linda picked up the cane that she still used for balance and shook it at her squabbling friends. "I'm quite willing to beat you both into submission if I have to." She glared at them, then grinned. "Now, play nice."

They both snorted.

"What are your plans now?" Shepard asked her visitors.

"Well, we obviously can't get back to Grissom Academy, but the kids still need training. Liara and I can help them – along with any other burgeoning biotics that we come across." Jack smiled at the asari. "Who knows? Maybe we can even open the first Earth campus of Grissom Academy."

Liara smiled and squeezed Jack's hand.

"Are you two a couple?" Garrus couldn't stand not knowing any longer.

"Yeah, we are." Jack narrowed her eyes at the turian. "You have a problem with that, Scarface?"

"No, no." Garrus raised his hands in mock surrender. "I've just always thought of you as the type that ate her mate once she had finished with them." Shepard groaned; he gave her a look of wide-eyed innocence in response.

"I was." Jack's voice softened as she looked at her lover. "I've never had a relationship that wasn't purely physical. I didn't even know that it was possible; Liara showed me that it was." She pulled Liara closer, so that she could slide her arm around her shoulder. "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

"I will." Liara dropped her eyes for a moment, and then looked back up, her eyes shining with joy. "I'm pregnant - Jack and I are going to be parents!"

"Congratulations!" Shepard grabbed her cane and hobbled to her friends, wrapping her arms around them both. Pulling away, she teased, "I guess your child will be a part of the baby boom that Kaidan mentioned."

"Yeah, we did kind of get caught up in the heat of the moment. It was kind of hard not to when practically every adult of every species was coupling around us." Liara gave a sultry laugh as she looked at her partner. "However, once the initial shock wore off, we realized that we had really grown to love each other. Bringing a baby into this new world – well, it seems the right thing to do. A new life, a new hope, on a new world." Suddenly, she looked at Shepard and Garrus. "Oh! I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I forgot that the two of you can't have children."

"It's okay." Shepard waved away her concern. "Garrus and I have already discussed this. We plan to adopt children – of both species if possible – and raise them as our own." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at Garrus. "And, we'll keep going through the motions – just in case."

He gave her a growl that curled her toes in response. Jack gagged. Liara elbowed her before turning back to Shepard.

"Jack and I have been discussing names for the baby." She grinned. "Unlike most couples, we don't have to wonder what the sex of the baby will be – it's a girl. We would like to name her 'Linda' in honor of you." When Shepard began to protest, Liara stopped her. "Without you, none of this would be possible. The Reapers would have harvested all higher life forms in the galaxy, Jack and I would never have found each other, and our child would not exist." Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at her former Commander and still best friend. "It would mean a lot to us."

"Well, since you put it that way…" Shepard took Jack's hand in one of hers and Liara's in the other. "The honor is all mine." She cleared her throat and blinked back tears. "You have to promise to bring my namesake by to meet me – and to take care of each other."

"We will," the couple responded together.

After more small talk, Liara and Jack got to their feet. "We've got to get back. But we'll stay in touch and be back as soon as we can." There were hugs all around – Jack even gave Garrus a quick embrace. Liara paused at the doorway and surveyed the room as if looking for something.

"Wait. Shepard, didn't anyone give you the things that I left for you – just in case?"

"No. What things? What are you talking about?"

"What's in those crates?"

"I don't know." Shepard glanced at the large white boxes in the corner of the room. "They've been there all along; I've never really paid any attention to them. Storage space is scarce – I've just assumed they were extra supplies."

Liara rushed to the crates, dropped to her knees and began pawing through the contents of each. "Yes!" she cried jubilantly when she reached the third one. She pushed to her feet and turned around, her hands behind her back.

"Close your eyes, Shepard and hold out your hands."

Curious, Linda did as she was instructed. However, her eyes flew open when she felt a familiar weight.

"Hershey!" She clutched her worn and much loved teddy bear to her chest. "I didn't think that I would ever see you again." She looked at Liara in amazement. "How…"

"When your shuttle left the Normandy, I recruited Traynor to help me pack up some of your things. If you were going to Earth, I thought that they should too." Liara held out the framed picture of Garrus sleeping with Hershey. "Particularly those things that I knew were special to you."

"Oh, Liara!" Linda stared at the picture, tears rolling down her cheeks. She tried to thank her friend, but nothing would come out; she had to settle for simply mouthing the words.

"You're welcome, Shepard. It's the least I could do." Liara gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Take care of yourself." Then she turned and walked out rapidly, not looking back.

Garrus moved to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled Linda into his lap; he wrapped his arms around her and held her until her emotions were once again under control. Finally she sighed and snuggled against him, but didn't loosen her grip on the bear or picture.

"Liara and Jack. Now, _that_ is absolutely the last couple that I ever expected to see." Shepard tilted her tear-stained face up to Garrus, her blue eyes wide.

"Me too. But, I'm happy for them. Maybe motherhood will mellow Jack out." He shuddered. "I can't believe that I just said 'Jack' and 'mother' in the same sentence."

Shepard laughed, then stood and walked carefully across the room, placing Hershey and the photo on a small table. When she returned, she climbed back into Garrus' lap and wiggled her ass firmly against him. She gave him a wicked grin when he groaned.

"No fair, Shepard. I'm already so horny I can barely stand it. You really shouldn't torture me like that." Another groan escaped him when she wiggled yet again. "Spirits, you still have the best ass I ever seen - or felt."

"My lips are pretty good too. Let me demonstrate." She stretched up, slid her arms around his neck and pressed her lips firmly to his. When he opened his mouth, her tongue slid in, eager to get reacquainted. It was her turn to moan when he flared his mandibles gently against her cheeks.

"Shepard," Garrus sounded more than a little breathless. "Are you sure that we should be doing this? You know that someone will interrupt us at the most inopportune moment."

"I'm sure. I'm more than tired of being a good girl. I can't keep lying beside you every night and be expected to do nothing more than sleep." When she looked at him, her pupils had widened in desire. "At this point, anyone that interrupts can just get an eyeful for all that I care."

The room became relatively quiet as the two proceeded to have a long overdue make out session. Just as Garrus decided to make a move and unzip Shepard's suit, the sound of a throat clearing made them both jump.

"I guess we came at a bad time." Kaidan and Trish stood in the doorway, looking slightly embarrassed.

As Linda adjusted her clothing, she noticed that they were holding hands.

"Come on in," she waved for them to enter the room. "We're getting used to being interrupted." She glanced back at Garrus and gave him a wink as she motioned to the chairs. "Go ahead and have a seat. I'm comfortable where I am." She really was perfectly comfortable in Garrus' lap, but she also wanted to give him a chance to get the massive erection that was pressing into her under control before she stood up. He squeezed her hand in thanks.

"What's going on?"

"We, uh, we wanted to talk to you for a few minutes." The couple exchanged a meaningful glance. "Individually, if possible."

"Individually, huh? That sounds serious." Shepard arched her brow at them. "But, before we split up, I have news for you as well." She directed her gaze at Kaidan. "Liara and Jack were just here. Did you see them?"

He shook his head.

"Well, it turns out that they have paired up and - they are pregnant."

"Liara? And Jack? Wow." He turned an incredulous look on Trish. "I'll have to fill you in. I don't know Jack very well, but the things I heard about her – well, motherhood isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of her. Come to think of it, it's not exactly the first thing I think of with Liara either – she was always so wrapped up in her study of the Protheans."

"Yeah, well, I think her feelings about them changed when she actually met one," Garrus interjected. "I know mine did. Javik is a bit of a dick. Or should I say 'was'?" He glanced at the others. "I don't even know if he survived." No one else knew either.

Kaidan stood up, waked to Shepard and held out his hand. When she took it, he pulled her carefully to her feet.

"Garrus, do you mind if I borrow Shepard for a few minutes? I promise that I will take care of her and bring her back safely."

"I know that you will." Garrus nodded at Kaidan. "I know she is safer with you than with anyone other than me."

Kaidan nodded back respectfully, pleased at the compliment. He led Linda out of the room and across the grounds to the Tree of Hope. They settled on the ground beneath its branches.

"Shepard, I don't know how to say this…" Kaidan suddenly seemed nervous.

Linda reached out and took his hand. "I'm assuming that this has something to do with Trish and the fact that you seem to have fallen in love with her?"

"How… how did you know?"

Linda rolled her eyes. "I have eyes, you know and I know what it is like to be in love." She patted his hand. "She is a beautiful woman and I've seen the effect that she has on you. Once I was out of danger, it was pretty obvious that your visits had just as much to do with her as they did with me."

She laughed as Kaidan hung his head.

"Ah, Kaidan. There is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. You don't need to feel guilty about letting go and moving on. I've been trying to get you to do that for some time. I'm just glad that you finally found someone that you are willing to give your heart to."

"She is wonderful, Shepard." A gentle smile spread across his face as he talked. "She is Canadian, like me. Unlike me, she comes from a large family. She hasn't heard from them in months and doesn't know if they have survived. We are going to go to Canada together. I need to see my mom – she doesn't need to deal with my dad's death alone – and we'll also search for Trish's family." He blushed, but it was almost imperceptible against his dark skin. "I hope that we will also start a family of our own – soon. I'm ready to be a husband and father. The sooner the better."

"On that note, we're going to have an old-fashioned human wedding, complete with a church, a pastor, the old vows, and everything. I want you to come. Please say that you will."

"Oh Kaidan! Of course I will. I wouldn't miss it for the world." She threw her arms around him in a hug. Startled, he returned it. "I hope that you know that you will always be my friend. I will always have a special place for you in my heart." Hugging him again, she added. "I am so happy for you. I don't know that you are asking for it, but you definitely have my blessing."

"Thank you, Shepard. That means everything to me."

They sat in silence for a while, each reflecting on their time together through the years and the twists and turns of their relationship. Everything had worked out as it should. They had each found the person that they were meant to be with – and they now had a chance at a life without the threat of Reapers.

"Kaidan, can you give me a few minutes alone?"

"I promised Garrus that I would take care of you and bring you back safely. I intend to keep that promise. I'm not going to leave you out here by yourself."

"I'm not asking you to break your promise. I just need to be alone for a few minutes. There is something that I need to take care of." She pointed at a large chunk of a concrete wall several yards away. "Just go wait over there until I signal you. You will still be able to see me, but you won't be able to hear me."

Kaidan looked from Shepard to the wall and back, concerned. Finally, he nodded in agreement and walked away.

Linda lay in the grass that had grown under the tree and looked up at the sky through its branches. "I'm sorry. I haven't thanked you for everything that you did. The Reapers are gone and I'm alive – and so is Garrus. I didn't think it was possible. But, I promise that I am going to make the most of this life that you have allowed me to have. Thank You." She closed her eyes and listened to the leaves whispering in the wind and felt its caress on her cheek. She felt as if her thanks – and her promise – had been heard. At peace, she sat up and motioned for Kaidan to come back. He helped her to her feet and hand in hand, they began the walk back to her room.

####

As Kaidan and Linda talked, Trish and Garrus did as well.

"Please, come sit next to me." Trish patted the chair next to her. "It will make it easier for us to visit."

Curious, Garrus did as she requested. He knew Trish of course, she was the nurse that had cared for both he and Linda during their recoveries, but they hadn't talked much beyond the nurse/patient conversations required.

"Kaidan and I are getting married. He thought that it would be best if he broke the news to Shepard alone." She hesitated. "I understand that they were a couple once. How do you think that she will take the news?"

"If I know Shepard - and I do - she will be thrilled for him. For both of you." He leveled his grey gaze on her face. "Look, Trish. May I call you Trish?" She nodded, so he continued. "It's true that they were once lovers, but that ended a long time ago. It is past time for Kaidan to let go and move on. I'm glad that he has found someone that he cares for. I hope that you will be happy together."

"We will. I'm sure of it." A smile wreathed her face. "I've never been as comfortable with anyone as I am with him. We complement each other nicely. Watching you and Shepard together has been wonderful. The love that you have for each other is inspiring." Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him. "On that subject, I'm sorry that we interrupted the two of you earlier. Things looked like they were getting pretty heated."

"You don't know the half of it. I'm beginning to think that there is a conspiracy among the staff to keep us celibate until we are released. If we even think about trying to…. you know, someone interrupts. It's becoming more than a little frustrating."

"Well, it just so happens that I know the staff here." She winked. "I think that maybe I can drop a few hints with some key people and get them to leave you alone. You are both pretty much healed now, you really don't require around the clock monitoring anymore. Once you finish your rehab, you will be released. Would you mind excusing me while I go and speak to a few people?"

"Mind? Are you kidding? I will… what is the human phrase? Dance at your wedding?"

Trish laughed as she left to make good on her promise. She returned several minutes later wheeling a cart.

"What is all of this?" Garrus stepped over to examine the items on the cart.

"It's not much, but I thought we should give this room a little ambience before Shepard returns. What do you think?"

"I think that you are a wonderful human being." Garrus pick Trish up and swung her around in a bear hug.

Trish was just exiting the room when Kaidan and Linda returned. She smiled at both of them.

"Did you have a good talk?" She wrapped her arm around Kaidan's as soon as he was close enough and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

For the first time, Linda realized that the two were of equal height. _Their children will be beautiful_. Of course Kaidan was gorgeous with his dark skin, hair, and eyes, but Trish was equally attractive. Her skin was the color of coffee with cream and her dark brown hair was long and wavy – her most startling feature was her brilliant green eyes.

"Yes, we did." Linda stepped over and hugged Trish. "You have been wonderful to Garrus and me – you have taken such good care of us. And you didn't suffocate either of us with a pillow – and I know that there were times we both deserved it. I know that you will take care of Kaidan as well. I can already see how good you are for him." She gave him a grin. "He practically glows when he talks about you."

"Glows, huh?" Trish arched a brow at Kaidan. "I bet I can do more than make you glow."

"Trish, please!" Kaidan seemed both pleased and embarrassed. "Not in front of Shepard!"

"Don't worry – she's a big girl. Besides, she has someone eagerly waiting to see her. Let's leave so that they can pick up where they left off when we so rudely interrupted them." Giving Linda a big grin, she led Kaidan away.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Linda opened the door and stepped into a room that had been transformed. The stubs of several candles dotted the various surfaces of the room. Their dinner trays were waiting on the table - with a bottle of wine. She stopped in amazement as she took everything in. Propping her cane against the wall next to the door, she slowly and carefully took her first unaided steps across the room and into Garrus' arms.

"You certainly have been busy." She snuggled into his arms, inhaling his scent. He still smelled like sun-warmed fields.

"I had help." He buried his face in her hair, his heart clenching. He had come so close to losing her so many times and yet… she was here in his arms. He still awoke many nights and just watched her sleep, listened to her breathe. He didn't know what he had done to deserve this woman or her love, but he intended to make the most of the chances that he had been given.

"It turns out that it is very helpful to have Trish on your side." He motioned to the wine and the candles. "She said that the room needed some 'ambience' and proceeded to gather together the materials needed to make it happen. She also found the wine. She said that right now, wine is 'rarer than hen's teeth.'" He cocked his head. "I have no idea what that means."

"Hens are a kind of bird – they have beaks, not teeth. So saying that something is 'rarer than hen's teeth' means that it is rare indeed. I'm honored that she was willing to give it to us."

They wheeled the table to the bed and sat side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder as they ate. Linda poured the wine and they made sure to savor it – it could be the last that they had for some time.

"Garrus, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "We just have to find our places in this new world, this new galaxy. I'm sure that the Alliance still has a place for you if you want it. It's going to take decades for them to rebuild."

"No." Shepard shook her head vehemently. "I'm done being a soldier. I gladly gave most of my adult life to military service, but those days are over. I've given enough. My life is now my own."

"I'm glad to hear it." He slid his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick hug. "I don't know what we will do or where we will go – all I know is that we will be together. And _that_ is all that matters to me."

"God, I love you." Tears suddenly flowed down Shepard's face. "There is so much that you could hold against me, and yet, you don't. You're still here with me and you still love me."

"Spirits, Shepard! What could I possibly hold against you?"

She waved at the door to the room and everything that lay beyond it.

"Everything! Yes, the Reapers are gone, but, because of my actions so are the relays – and so much else." She looked at him, her heart breaking. "You know that your sister and father made it safely off of Palaven, but, in all likelihood, you will never see them again. I don't even know if we will live to see the technology rebuilt that will allow you to communicate with them."

Garrus pulled her into his arms, not sure if he meant to shake her or hug her. He settled for hugging her.

"Yes, it hurts that I may never see them again, but that was always a chance. Any time I went into battle, there was a chance that I would be killed – in which case I would not have seen them again." He pushed her away so that he could see her face, but she dropped her eyes.

"Linda, look at me." When she finally did, he continued. "Because of your actions, they have a chance to live. Without you, they would have been killed by the Reapers, sooner or later. Now, they are free to live. Even if I don't see them again, that's enough for me." This time he did shake her - gently. "Besides, don't you know – after all this time, after all that we have been through together – that I would rather have a life with you than anything else? Without you, I might have a heartbeat, and I might be breathing, but I wouldn't be alive."

"I think that's the most romantic thing that anyone has ever said to me." She grabbed a napkin off of the food tray, wiped her eyes, and then blew her nose – loudly. She reached up to stroke Garrus mandible. "I hope you know that I feel the same way about you. That night after Horizon, when you came to my cabin for the first time – I think of that as the day that I really began to live; that was the beginning of finding my other half, the one that completes me."

"That's sweet." He pressed his forehead to hers. "Now, no offense, but this is getting way too mushy for my tastes." He polished off the last of his wine as Linda laughed. "Did I mention that Trish also pulled a few strings and got Doctor Chakwas to sign off on orders stating that we no longer require 24-hour monitoring – effective immediately. That means that no one will be coming in to check on us tonight. And just to make sure…." He got up and wedged one of the chairs under the handle of the door.

The look that he turned on Linda as he advanced back across the room took her breath away.

"You mean we are actually going to be alone?"

"All alone. Just…you…and…me." He punctuated each word with a kiss – on the tip of her nose, her lips, and the sides of her neck. With no one to interrupt them, he was determined to get down to business and reached for the fastenings on Shepard's suit. To his astonishment, she placed her hands on his, stopping him. "What's wrong?"

"It's just that, well, we've been in the same room, the same bed, but we've been clothed. My body isn't the same. I've always had scars, but now I have so many more. And I'm missing part of my leg. I don't want you to be grossed out or offended."

"Oh, Shepard." He had never seen her so insecure. Prior to the last battle, she was so overworked, so overwhelmed, but she had dealt with it as well as anyone could. But now, in the aftermath, her insecurities seemed worse. Spirits only knew that few people, if any, could have handled the situation as well as she had. But she had awakened to a world completely changed and no longer knew where she fit or seemingly, who she was. He had to make her see that she was still Shepard, still his and that nothing, no amount of scars would change that. He took her face in his hands and studied her carefully. "I've got more scars as well. Do you remember the night that we made love for the first time?"

"Of course."

"That night, you told me the best way for us to get over our awkwardness was just to take the plunge, get out of our clothes and get better 'acquainted.' I think if we substitute the word 'reacquainted' that advice still applies. We're in no rush; we have the rest of our lives together. Tonight, we should start by taking things slowly. We'll get out of our clothes and get to know each other's bodies again, new scars and everything. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Garrus stepped back and slowly stripped out of his clothes. Linda winced at the number of new scars on his body. Not because they offended her, but because they were a symbol of all the pain that he had endured. She hadn't realized that his injuries had been so extensive. She stood up and extended her hand to him, he took it and steadied her as she stepped closer. She ran her hand lightly over his scars; they were reminiscent of the ones that he had received on the Collector ship when a drone hit him with a particle beam, but worse. She looked up at him. He nodded.

"When the Reaper guarding the beam fired on us, I dove behind some rubble. I was lucky it was a glancing blow. The impact threw me through the air, I impacted a burnt out vehicle and lost consciousness. Kaidan said that he found me curled up over your body, guarding you. I don't even remember how I got there or how I found you. I was severely burned as were you, but my thick skin makes it easier for me to recover from such. I also had a few broken bones. But everything is fine now." His mandibles flared in a grin. "Our scars show where we have been and what we have overcome to become who we are. They are a part of us and nothing to be ashamed of. Now, it's my turn."

Linda nodded and stepped back to sit on the edge of the bed so that she could remove her prosthesis. When that was complete, she allowed Garrus to once again reach for the fastenings on her clothes; this time she didn't stop him. Once she was naked, she leaned back on her arms so that he could see her better. He traced the scar that ran across her cheek, narrowly missing her right eye.

"This scar reminds me of the one that you had when we first met. You had a scar through your eyebrow and another on your chin. Cereberus healed those when they brought you back."

"And gave me a host of new ones in their place."

"Those healed with time, as will these."

His talon dropped lower to trace the faint scar that still outlined the bite that he had given her – at her request – before they went in to battle with the Collectors. Linda shivered at his touch and he smiled, she had always loved the feel of his rough skin against her neck. His talon dropped lower, tracing the scars that crisscrossed her abdomen and breasts. He heard the quick intake of her breath and saw her nipples harden as his fingers brushed across them. As his hand dropped lower, he ran his fingers through the nest of curls at the apex of her thighs. The curls weren't as thick as he remembered, but he knew that between the burns that had covered most of her body and all of the procedures and surgeries that had been performed, her body hair had been removed on multiple occasions. He looked forward to many opportunities to monitor its return to its former bushy glory. Kneeling, he took Shepard's stump in both legs and examined it carefully. Her leg had been crushed beyond all repair and had to be amputated if she were to have any chance at life. To leave it attached would have been to invite life-threatening infection – a foolish risk since it would never work again. Doctor Chakwas was not a foolish woman and had made the right decision. The new skin on her stump was still pink and he kissed it gently.

Standing, he picked Linda up and shifted her over in the bed so that he could lie beside her. He bent his elbow and propped his head on his hand so that he could look at her.

"You could never have a scar bad enough to make me not love you. I seem to remember you telling me that I would always be handsome to you, no matter how many scars I had. The same applies to you. I will always think that you are beautiful and I will always love you with or without scars."

As he allowed his gaze to travel over her naked form, his body responded enthusiastically, his cock growing hard enough to hurt. He cleared his throat. "I know, um, that I said that we would take things slow tonight, but part of me – actually most of me – disagrees with that decision."

"I think we have taken things quite slow enough." Linda glanced down her lover's torso at the magnificent erection straining toward her, semen already gleaming on its tip. She pulled his elbow out from under him and pushed him onto his back. "Besides, who am I to pass up such a glorious invitation?" She gave him the wicked grin that he had not seen in months, kissed him soundly and with no warning, slid down his body and took him into her mouth. He groaned and arched upward, forcing himself deeper into her. His vision greyed and he thought he heard the fabric of the sheets tear as he struggled for purchase – and fought not to come.

"Shit, Shepard." He ground his teeth as he struggled for control. "Give a guy a chance would you? It's been a long time." He gasped as she stroked him with her tongue. "A _really_ long time and I'm ready to pop. I won't be able to hold out long if you keep doing that."

She chuckled and the vibration made him buck. She went down on him and then pulled back slowly, trailing her tongue over his tip until he thought he would scream. "Who's asking you to hold out?" In one smooth motion, Shepard raised her body and straddled him, taking him slowly into her warm, wet, pulsing depths. She was more than ready for him and rose up slowly, and then slid down quickly sheathing him to the hilt. Garrus cried out in release, thrusting into her. He wrapped his arms and legs around her and rolled her over, coming the whole time. When she was under him, he gave himself completely to his orgasm, shuddering and gasping but still not stopping. He thrust into Linda over and over, and she arched her back so that he could go deeper. As his climax finally began to recede, he felt her shudder as the walls of her shaft gripped him tightly – she screamed, actually _screamed_ as she came, calling his name and begging him for more. He was glad to give it to her as her body's response triggered a new climax in him. He filled her again as she shuddered beneath him, her teeth sinking into his neck in ecstasy. He thanked the heavens again that he had somehow wound up with the one human woman that didn't mind a little biting during sex.

Their orgasms ended almost simultaneously and he collapsed, rolling to keep from crushing Shepard with the bony ridge down his chest. Once his breathing had dropped to a level that allowed him to speak again, he asked her "Are you okay?"

"Okay? I am beyond okay – I am _fabulous_." She stretched, luxuriating in the feel of her body. "I needed that. For the first time in my recovery, I now feel like _me_ – like my body is once again my own. Thank you."

"You are quite welcome. But I'm not through yet." He gave her a look that took her breath away. "I intend to give you many more opportunities to thank me before the night is through."

"Oh, really?"

"Really." He slid down the bed, shoved her legs apart, and buried his face between them. His tongue searched for - and found – the small throbbing piece of deliciousness that she kept secret there.

"Ah! I have missed that!" She spread her legs wider and arched her back, giving him easy access.

He teased her with his tongue, tasting himself mixed in with the flavors of her. He slid one finger into her as he worked her with his mouth. She tightened around his finger as she cried out his name. Sliding his finger into her he was glad that he had continued his habit of keeping his talons trimmed. She rode his finger as she came. Once her climax was well under way, he removed his finger and replaced it with his cock, once again hard and aching for release. Spirits! She was so wet. And so hot. And so damn tight. It felts as if he were sliding himself into a velvet-lined vise. It was marvelous. He came with a roar, slamming into her hard enough that he could hear their flesh slapping wetly together. Shepard had finished and now rode his wave, raising her hips to meet his thrusts. Once again, when he was expended, he collapsed beside her, but this time made sure that they remained joined. They drifted to sleep bodies and hearts joined.

A pounding at the door to the room gradually worked its way into Linda's consciousness.

"Shepard? Shepard! Are you in there? Open this door right now." It was Doctor Chakwas. Linda sat up slowly, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Looking around, she saw that her prosthesis was several feet away. It was going to take several minutes for her to get to it, put it on, and open the door.

Garrus' combat training had not failed him. He was awake at the sound of the first knock. He kissed Linda on the shoulder and pushed her gently back down on her pillow. "I'll get it." His slid out of bed and walked to the door –stark naked. He moved the chair from in front of the door, and then turned the handle to open it slightly. "Come on in, Doc."

She did and was presented the rear view of a completely naked turian as Garrus walked back to the bed, then slid under the covers with Shepard, who was giggling madly. It was the first time that he had heard her giggle since, well, since before. Her laughter was what let him know that his Shepard was back, once and for all.

"Something we can help you with Doctor?" Linda sat up in the bed, pulling her knee to her chin. She motioned to one of the chairs, indicating that the doctor should be seated. For the first time ever, Karin looked flustered as she moved to the chair and sat down.

"I, uh, I was concerned for your well-being. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"Really? Do you pound down the doors of all of your patients? Even after signing orders that they no longer require round-the-clock care?"

"Now, just a minute Shepard!" The doctor bristled. "You have no right to talk to me that way."

Linda turned to sit on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling. She kept the sheet wrapped around her body.

"Karin," she spoke softly. The doctor jerked in surprise; Shepard had never called her by her first name before. "I owe you my life – I would not be here if it weren't for you and your expertise. I also like to think that our friendship played a part in the care that you have given me. As my friend, you weren't willing to give up on me, even when others might have." She smiled to take the edge off of her words. "But, it is time for you to let go. I am well now and I need to start getting on with my life. I can't stay in this hospital forever."

"You're right, Shepard." Doctor Chakwas sat ram-rod straight in her chair. "I _have_ let my personal feelings interfere in this case." She ducked her head, and when she looked back up, Linda was surprised to see tears in her normally steely eyes. "We have almost lost you so many times and this time it was on my watch. It was my responsibility to help you, to heal you – and I did. But I have become like one of those parents that refuses to let their children face the consequences of their actions. I am sorry. I will leave now." She stood and turned, preparing to walk out the door.

"Doctor, please. Come here." Linda held out her hand and waited as the doctor hesitated before coming to stand by the side of the bed. "Please don't go away angry. I'm not kicking you off of my case or out of my life. But changes do need to be made. Stay and talk to me, tell me what needs to be done."

Rubbing her head as if she were developing a headache, the doctor began. "Trish pointed out to me that the two of you really do not require constant supervision – and that you might benefit from some time alone." She arched her brow at them. "Apparently, she was right. Garrus' physical therapy is complete and yours is nearly so. You still have some work to do, but primarily, you need to build up your stamina. So, if you are agreeable, I would like for you to continue your therapy a couple of days a week, but the rest of the time, you just need to get outside, get some fresh air, and walk. Build up your strength. You can do those things while you look for a place to live. After all, once your therapy is complete, you can't stay here. Hospitals are for sick people."

"Will you forgive me for speaking to you so harshly?" Linda held out her hand placatingly.

"You're forgiven, but there is no need. You were right. I wasn't keeping you here for your benefit, but for mine. I don't want to see anything happen to you again."

"Don't worry, Doc." Garrus spoke for the first time since opening the door. "She will be with me and I will keep her safe. I promise."

"I know."

Once the doctor was gone, Linda turned to Garrus. "Well, we learned something last night."

"We did? I thought we already knew what we were doing." He grinned as she swatted him on the shoulder.

"We learned that anytime I start feeling weepy and out-of-sorts, uncomfortable in my own skin, all you have to do is take me to bed for a night of intense sex and I'll be back to my old self."

"Mmm, I'll have to remember that." He pulled her back into the bed where his hands got busy doing lovely things to her.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

As per doctor's orders Linda and Garrus began taking regular walks through the streets of London, staying out for slightly longer periods each day. They knew that they needed to find somewhere to live, but had no idea how to go about finding an apartment in this new society. It wasn't like they could search for "Apartments for Rent" on the extranet; extranet connectivity was spotty at best and the limited bandwidth was restricted for use by the military and emergency services providers. Shepard finally decided to take the situation into her own hands.

"Sir?" she called to a young man exiting what appeared to be the remains of an apartment complex. "Excuse me, can you help us?"

"Yes? What can I do for you?" He stopped and waited for them.

"We," she gestured to herself and Garrus, "are in need of living quarters. What do we need to do?"

"Simple," he shrugged. "Just find an empty apartment in a habitable building and claim it as your own. With so many buildings damaged beyond repair, the survivors have a tendency to cluster together in the few habitable ones close by. There is still an unspoken feeling that there is safety in numbers."

"But, how do you secure your quarters?" Garrus chimed in.

"Any way that you can." The young man glanced around at the people walking by. "For the most part, it isn't necessary. People are still so relieved to be alive - and so busy scrounging for necessities - that things like looting aren't common place." He scowled. "It will happen though, especially if the military and law enforcement agencies don't get back up to speed quickly. People will forget soon enough."

"Thank you…" Shepard extended her hand. "I'm sorry; I didn't ask your name."

"Rico." He shook her hand firmly.

"Thank you, Rico. I'm Shepard and this," she motioned toward the turian, "is Garrus."

"Holy shit!" Rico dropped her hand as if stung. "Shepard? _Commander_ Shepard?"

"The one and only," Garrus piped up cheerfully as Linda hesitated.

"Hell's Bells," Rico's face had paled noticeably. "_The_ Commander Shepard! My friends are _never_ going to believe this."

"Have you ever heard of Archangel?" Linda wasn't about to be out-done by her lover.

"Oh, sure. His exploits on Omega were legendary," Rico enthused, quickly warming to the subject. "There was even a channel on the extranet dedicated to him – 'The Adventures of Archangel.' It was all pretty campy stuff, made by fans, but it had a huge following."

"You don't say." She glanced at Garrus, the corner of her mouth quirking upward. "Well, Vakarian here _is_ Archangel."

"You're shitting me – right?" Rico grabbed Garrus' hand and pumped it enthusiastically.

"No. No shit involved," Garrus assured him seriously.

"My friends are never going to believe this - Commander Shepard _and_ Archangel." He adjusted the settings on his omni-tool. "This thing can't do much anymore, but it should be able to record this. Do you mind if I get a picture with you?"

"Not at all."

The three of them crowded together and just as Rico snapped the picture, Garrus made "bunny ears" behind his head with his talons. After a few more effusive thanks, they went their separate ways.

"Bunny ears? Really?" Shepard giggled. "I didn't know turians did that."

"Some things are universal, Shepard." Garrus scowled thoughtfully. "However, I find the human tendency to include excrement in expressions of surprise and happiness somewhat disturbing. Why do you do this?"

"I don't," Linda protested. "And I'm not sure why others do. Ask Jack the next time you see her – that sounds like her area of expertise."

Their first day of searching was unsuccessful; they needed a ground floor apartment until Shepard was able to climb stairs with her new leg. Saving the remainder of their search for another day, they returned to the hospital.

The next day, Garrus saw an example of the old Shepard in action when they ran into a friend from the past with a bone to pick.

"Shepard! Stop right there," a familiar voice bellowed. They turned and waited for the owner of the voice to come into view; it didn't take long. Wrex barreled his way out of the remains of a building that a team of krogan was in the process of tearing down, his shoulder clipping one of the walls, knocking cement and plaster to the ground. He didn't even seem to notice the impact. He stomped up to Linda and shoved her, nearly knocking her to the ground.

It took all of Garrus' willpower to stop himself from intervening. However, this was Shepard's battle and he would stay out of it unless he was needed. She had faced the Krogan down before and he knew that she could do it again.

"Hello to you too, Wrex." Linda slapped his hand away from her shoulder. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You are." The krogan was breathing heavily, his already beady eyes narrowed dangerously. "Thanks to you, I'm stuck here on this planet. I will never get to see my child – and it is _all your fault_." His hands flexed at his sides, threatening violence.

"Don't even think it." Linda stood her ground, not flinching in the face of the verbal onslaught. "It's thanks to me that you even _have_ a child. If it weren't for me, the genophage cure would not have been delivered to your people and what was left of the mighty krogan race would have died at the hands of the Reapers."

Wrex looked away, breaking eye contact.

"I'm sorry that you will never see your child Wrex." Shepard reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, "But at least you have a child – and there will be others." She motioned at the destruction surrounding them. "No matter what choice I made, the relays would have been destroyed – that is _not_ my fault." This time she shoved him. "Or would you rather that I had let the Reapers destroy the galaxy?"

Wrex stepped back to the wall that he had run into earlier and slammed his fists into it – over and over again. Only when it had been reduced to a pile of rubble and his knuckles to a bloody mess did he stop. When he returned to face Linda, his aggression had subsided.

"You're right Shepard. I'm sorry." He stared up at the sky, as if he could somehow bridge the distance to his home. "It's just… hard."

"I know. I won't see my family again either." Garrus finally spoke. "So, this is my home now – and I plan to make the best of it." He slid his arm around Linda's waist.

"That's easy for you, Vakarian." Wrex huffed at his friend. "Your mate is here. Mine isn't. Krogan females are rare – an item to be treasured. They don't fight with us, there are none here. What are my men and I to do?"

"I don't know." Linda looked at him sadly. "We're all finding our way in this new reality." She shrugged. "There are asari here. They will be looking for mates to help continue their race. I'm sure more than a few of them would be willing to mate with the krogan. After all, who wouldn't want the toughness of the krogan in their bloodline?" She reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "It won't be the same as seeing your full-blooded krogan child, but you could still have a child – or children – of your own."

"That's something to think about, Shepard." Wrex seemed to notice her leg for the first time. "You are a fine warrior, you wear your wounds well." As he turned to rejoin his team, he suddenly turned back. "I'm sorry that I pushed you." With that, he was gone.

"He's right, you know." Garrus eyes glinted with humor as he looked at his mate. "You are a fine warrior – and you're mine." He hugged her ferociously. "Welcome back, Shepard. I knew you would find your way."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

Garrus slipped his arms around Linda's waist as they began the return journey to their apartment.

"You know, you've never talked about what happened on the Citadel. What did you mean when you told Wrex that the relays would have been destroyed 'no matter what choice' you made?"

They walked in silence while Linda gathered her thoughts and tried to put them into words.

"We thought the Citadel was the Catalyst. It wasn't – it was actually the artificial intelligence that resides – resided? – there."

"An AI? Who created it?"

"The Leviathans. They created "the Intelligence" to monitor relations between organics and synthetics – they were convinced that synthetics would always evolve and destroy their creators. The Intelligence eventually turned on the Leviathans and harvested them to create the first Reaper – otherwise known as Harbinger."

"Spirits, Shepard! So, let me see if I have this straight. In order to prevent synthetics from evolving and destroying organic life, the Catalyst created synthetics to periodically destroy organic life?" Garrus shook his head. "Wow. That's pretty messed up."

"The Catalyst would say that it wasn't destroying all life, it was being 'harvested' – preserving the genetic makeup and collective knowledge of the harvested races. But yeah – it was pretty screwed up." Linda leaned her head against Garrus' shoulder. "He – I mean, it – offered me three choices. I could control the Reapers, destroy them, or somehow allow my essence to be used to merge organic and synthetic life into a common DNA. No matter which option I chose, the relays would be destroyed." She stopped walking and pulled back to look him in the eye and he saw the flash of steel there. "So I destroyed the sons of bitches."

"That's my girl." Garrus gave a bark of laughter before turning serious. "Linda, how did you survive? I was told that the Citadel exploded."

"I don't know. I shot out the conduit that would destroy the Reapers…there was an explosion…and I don't remember anything else until I woke up screaming in the hospital." She gave Garrus a look tinged with anguish. "I just don't know. Maybe God decided to answer my prayers or the Catalyst cut me some slack for being the first organic to make it that far. But whatever it was – I am beyond thankful."

"Me too." Garrus stopped and pressed his forehead to Linda's briefly, then scooped her into his arms and took off at a trot. "As soon as we get back to our apartment, I will show you just how much."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

The day of Kaidan and Trish's wedding, Linda and Garrus slowly climbed the steps of the massive cathedral. Stairs were getting easier for her, but she still rested her hand on his arm for support – and just because she liked to touch him.

Garrus craned his neck as he studied the edifice. "Impressive." He stopped and ran his hand over the stonework surrounding the door. "This entire structure was made by hand?"

"Yes. It is several hundred years old and was built long before there were machines to assist with the process." Linda rested her hand lightly on the sun-warmed stone as well. "It has survived the World Wars - in which humans fought humans – and now the Reaper invasion." She motioned to where the corner of the building lay in ruins. "It has been beaten and battered, but never destroyed." Emotion suddenly threatened to overwhelm her.

"Hmm. Sounds a lot like you." Garrus pulled Shepard into his arms and kissed her thoroughly.

"Thanks for always being around to pick up the pieces," she whispered, hugging him tightly.

"My pleasure." He pulled away gently and offered her his arm once again. "Now, shall we… What is the human expression? 'Get this show on the road?'" Linda laughed as he led her inside and to the seats reserved for them on one of the front rows.

While neither of them had ever seen a wedding like this, Shepard was at least familiar with the concept from old vids. Garrus however, seemed fascinated; she thought his head was going to swivel off as he tried to take everything in. He watched the proceedings with raptor-like intensity, almost holding his breath as he listened to the vows that they exchanged – "to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Linda was rapidly making a name for herself as a photographer and had agreed to take the pictures for the wedding. She really didn't think much of Garrus' silence as she worked - she knew he didn't want to interfere. However, it continued long after the wedding and reception were over; he remained quiet, seemingly lost in thought as they walked back to their apartment.

Once home, Linda went to the kitchen to prepare hot cocoa for herself and tea for Garrus. When she returned to the living room, cups in hand, she found him pacing slowly, gazing intently at the floor. Placing the drinks on the low table, she went to him and touched him, bringing him out of his reverie; she studied his face for clues as to what was bothering him, but found none. She shook her head. She should have known better – no one had a more inscrutable face than a turian.

Leading him to the sofa, she sat and pulled him down beside her. "Garrus? What's wrong? You've been unusually quiet all afternoon." She stroked his mandible, her concern evident on her face. She waited patiently while he gathered his thoughts.

"It's that wedding - I've never seen anything like it. Those vows." He stood up as if to begin pacing again, then abruptly sat back down and took Linda's hands in his. "Those vows describe us – what we have already been through, and what we – _I_ - want. I hope you want the same."

"I do." Linda laughed as her response echoed the vows.

"I don't know what the proper human ritual is – or if there even is one. But I want to marry you, Linda. A human wedding, like that, with those vows." The earnestness in his eyes almost broke her heart. "Would you agree to marry me?"

"Absolutely!" She threw her arms around him and he buried his face in her neck. As she cuddled against him, she added, "There is another marriage tradition followed by many human women - they take their husband's name after the wedding."

"Doesn't that get confusing?" Garrus pulled back, the look on his face echoing the bewilderment in his voice. "If we're both called Garrus, how will we know who people are talking to?"

"Not first names." Linda grinned as she explained, "The wife frequently takes the husband's _last_ name after they're married – her first name remains the same. How would you feel about me becoming Linda Vakarin?"

"I can't think of anything that I would like better. But, it might take a while for me to stop calling you 'Shepard.'"

"You can call me 'Shepard' as long as you like."

####

As soon as the couple announced that they were to be married, all hell broke loose. All hopes of a simple, intimate wedding quickly went down the toilet.

"I didn't want it to be like this," Linda fumed to Garrus one night. "I was looking forward to a small wedding – just the two of us and enough witnesses to make it legal."

"I know." He pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly, "But you are Commander Shepard. You're the one that brought hope to the galaxy and a new chance at life for all of us. You have friends that love you dearly – they want to make our wedding something special as their way of saying thanks." He stroked her hair away from her face. "I hope that you'll let them. It means a lot to them and we will still be married when it is all over – and _that_ is what's important."

"You're right." She narrowed her eyes at him. "But they are _not_ making me wear a long, flowing dress. I refuse."

The dress argument came to a head the very next day when she met with Liara, who had assumed the role as Linda's fashion advisor.

"But Shepard – all of the research that I have done shows that it was traditional for human females to wear a long dress."

"Maybe so, but _I _am not going to. I have already agreed to wear a dress – don't push your luck."

Liara recognized the glare that Shepard directed her way and knew better than to push her any further. "Fine!" She threw her hands up in surrender. "I'll come up with something – and I promise that it won't be long _or_ flowy. But…" she hesitated briefly. "Are you sure that you want everyone to see your artificial leg? It may make some guests uncomfortable."

"If the sight of my leg and what I lost to bring peace to the galaxy bothers anyone, then perhaps they should stay home." Linda's voice was soft, but it rang with barely veiled steel. "I love you, Liara, but that includes you. My scars and my leg are a part of who I am. I am not ashamed and I will _not_ hide them."

"You're right Shepard." Liara hung her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Linda reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "I know that you want this wedding to be perfect, but don't get so wrapped up in the plans that you forget about the people. Okay?"

"It won't happen again – I promise."

####

The morning of the wedding dawned bright and clear; it was going to be a beautiful day.

Almost as soon as they arrived at the cathedral to prepare, Liara shooed Garrus away. "Okay Garrus, give your bride a kiss. This is the last time that you will see her until the ceremony begins."

"What? Why?"

"It's tradition, silly." Liara wagged a finger at him. "It's considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, so give her a kiss and be on your way." She pointed at the door. "Kaidan and Wrex are waiting for you."

"Yeah, we've battled Reapers – and won," Garrus grumbled as he pulled Shepard into his arms. "Spirits forbid that we see each other on our wedding day."

"Remember what you told me - this means a lot to them," Linda whispered. "Besides, I'll make it worth your while later." She gave him a kiss filled with promise followed by a gentle shove toward the door.

Once Garrus was out of the room, Liara went into overdrive. Jack lounged against the nearby wall watching her mate with both exasperation and amusement. "I'm glad that you didn't insist that we go through this nonsense."

"You aren't out of danger yet," Liara threatened. "There is still time."

Jack groaned in response.

"Let's see. The bride is supposed to have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue." Liara ticked off each point on her fingers.

"Well, _you_ are my Maid of Honor," Shepard snickered. "Don't you count as the something blue?"

Liara put her hands on her hips, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "I may have to if we can't find anything else. We borrowed Trish's dress – she said it was okay for us to alter it for you - so it can count as something old, new, and borrowed." She placed her hand on her abdomen as the child within rolled and stretched, looking for a more comfortable position. She glanced at Shepard critically. "Do you have any earrings?"

"You've known me how long?" Shepard retorted. "I don't even have pierced ears."

"You're not making this any easier you know."

"I'm sorry to be so difficult." Linda struggled to suppress a major eye roll. "Why don't you go ahead and get the dress so that we can make sure that it fits."

"Good idea." Liara motioned to Jack, who opened the nearby closet and pulled out the dress.

Linda gasped. If she hadn't known that it was the one that Trish had worn, she wouldn't have believed it. It looked completely different. She stepped out of her robe and allowed Liara to pull the garment over her head. The asari gave a grunt of satisfaction when she zipped it; it fit like a glove. Linda stepped before the broken mirror to look at her reflection. When she saw what her friends had done, she was moved to tears. The lacy sleeves had been removed and the neckline altered to a deep V. The flowing skirt had been shortened to just above her knees. She had no idea where they had found the material, but the underskirt was made of layers of red and purple tulle, which gave the skirt some shape. The colors peeped out from under the fabric as she moved, mirroring the colors on her artificial leg.

"Of course! How silly of me; I swear, pregnancy has made me absent-minded." Liara wore her much-mended and now pregnancy-altered shipsuit from Before. The high collar of her suit was blue; with a quick snip of the scissors and a tear of fabric, she freed the collar and placed it around Shepard's thigh, pinning it to fit. "There! I saw pictures of what was called a garter – it was normally the blue item in the bride's ensemble. This will serve as yours."

Her outfit had been finalized just in time; Shepard heard the music begin to play as guests were seated for the ceremony. Liara slid her arm through her friend's and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Are you nervous?"

"Not at all." Shepard smiled down at her shorter friend. "Why should I be? I'm marrying the man that I love - the man that completes me. What is there to be nervous about?"

"Well, when you put it like that…"

Shepard laughed.

"Come on. Let's get this show on the road." She smiled as she echoed Garrus' words at the first wedding.

Garrus stood at the altar with the officiant and Wrex, who was serving as his Best Man. He waited impatiently for the music that he had been told was called The Wedding March. He couldn't wait to see Linda and marry her – and be her husband. He felt like he had been waiting for this moment his entire life.

Finally, the music changed and the door opened. As Liara walked down the aisle, Garrus struggled not to shift from foot to foot in his impatience. His head jerked up as Linda stepped to the door and stood, her eyes searching for him. When she found him, a smile lit her face. He stood, his feet glued to the floor as she moved toward him. She was beautiful and she was his – now and forever. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He wasn't sure who he was thanking, but he hoped that whoever it was would hear him and know that he was truly grateful.

Linda couldn't take her eyes off of Garrus. He was resplendent in a military uniform. He must have borrowed it from one of the other stranded turians; it wasn't something that she recalled him owning. When she reached the altar, she took his hand in hers and clasped it to her chest. Their eyes met and locked, neither hesitated as they repeated their vows.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The pastor nodded at Garrus, "You may kiss your bride."

"With pleasure." He slid his arms around Linda, gave her a wink, and then dipped her - as he had atop the Presidium - before kissing her soundly.

The audience erupted in cheers.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It only took the Vakarians a few months to realize that London simply wasn't a good match for them. Simply put, the cold and damp made their oft broken bones ache. It didn't take much for Garrus to persuade Linda to move to the sort of tropical location that he longed for. They weren't exactly "living off the proceeds from the vids," but life was good. Linda's photographs sold well and they were both in demand as instructors for the Alliance.

Garrus reclined on a beach chair under the cabana and closed his eyes, relishing the warm breeze and the sound of the surf. He hoped that Linda would join him soon - he wouldn't mind another game of "the cabana boy and the commander." But only if she didn't try to put him in that Speedo again; turians simply weren't built for thongs. He smiled as he heard footsteps approaching across the sand.

"Dad, she's doing it again." The young man's voice cracked slightly on the last word.

_Dad_. Garrus' chest swelled with pride. Even after all these years he sometimes still found it difficult to believe that he had a home - a family. And they were safe - the threat of extermination by the Reapers no longer hung over their heads. He turned to look at his son. Years of association with Shepard had helped him learn to read human facial expressions; raising human children had taken his ability to a whole new level. The look on his son's face was one of exasperation.

"Who is doing what, David?"

David ran his hand through his dark hair, pushing it out of his eyes. "Beth. She's picking on me again - about my voice." Once again, his voice skipped through several octaves before he completed the sentence; he rolled his blue eyes in frustration.

Garrus struggled to hide a grin; the eye roll was one worthy of his mother. "That's what sisters are for. If she wasn't picking on you about your voice, it would be something else. Turian voices don't change like a human's, but believe me, my sister gave me plenty of grief when we were growing up." His heart clenched briefly at the mention of Solana; it was hard not knowing where she was or if she and his dad were okay. He cocked his head at David. "You give as good as you get. You know _Sabetha_ prefers her full name, but you insist on calling her 'Beth' anyway."

David grinned. "I only do it because it irritates her."

"Which is exactly why she picks on you about your voice. The more you let her get under your skin, the more she'll do it."

Linda came out of the house, a young turian boy balanced on one hip and a human girl of approximately the same age hard on her heels. Her glance flickered between David and Garrus as she drew nearer. "Is everything okay out here?"

Garrus got to his feet and stretched. "Everything's fine. We were just having a little man-to-man discussion about sisters." He reached over and ruffled David's hair; the boy jerked his head away and scowled up at his father as he smoothed it back into place.

"David, why don't you take your siblings off your mom's hands and help them wash up for dinner?" Garrus advanced on Shepard with a twinkle in his eye as he spoke.

David did as he was told and took his brother from Shepard's arms, balancing him on his hip with practiced ease before taking his younger sister by the hand. He glanced back and forth between his parents, his nose wrinkled in distaste. "You two aren't going to start _kissing_ again are you?"

Garrus drew Shepard into his arms and glanced at David over her shoulder. "Of course we are. The quicker you get out of here, the less you have to see." With that, he bent his head to Linda, whose head was already tilted back in anticipation, and pressed his mouth to hers.

"Eeeew!" David gagged. Giggles issued from his younger siblings.

Garrus glared at them playfully. "I warned you. If you hang around here any longer, you'll see worse than that." He slid his hand down Shepard's back and cupped her ass.

"Garrus!" Shepard laughed, pulling his hand back up to her waist.

"Let's get out of here!" David hurried his brother and sister back to the house, feigning disgust. However, Garrus saw the grin on his face.

Children gone, Garrus turned his full attention to Linda and gave her a long, lengthy kiss; she returned it with an ardor that promised an evening of unspeakable delights - once the children were in bed. Shepard snuggled against him, resting her head against his chest. They stood together in a bubble of peace; the house for once, was quiet.

Garrus had wanted to be a father as long as he could remember. Falling in love with Shepard hadn't weakened that desire; it just changed the mechanics of the process slightly. The war with the Reapers left countless orphans in its wake; he and Shepard had opened their home - and more importantly, their hearts - to several.

Linda had taken to motherhood better than Garrus had anticipated. He never doubted that she would be a good mother, but he had underestimated the amount of maternal instinct bottled up inside the warrior that he knew so well. Once the Reapers were exterminated, Shepard had turned her back on that life once and for all. She and Garrus adopted several children, both turian and human, and dedicated themselves to helping them rebuild their lives. It hadn't been easy - some of the children weren't used to other races and felt threatened by them; others had been as scarred by the things that they had seen during the war as any battle-hardened soldier. Few things are sadder than a six year old suffering from the nightmares and flashbacks of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Slowly though, things got better - love and time can heal almost any wound. The love that Linda and Garrus had for each other - and showed freely - helped the children see that other races don't have to be a threat; their knowledge of war and the scars that it leaves behind allowed them to walk their children through the process of healing.

Their bubble burst as the sounds of bickering drifted from the open windows. Shepard threw her head back and laughed, meeting Garrus' eyes. "Oh well, we knew it couldn't last forever."

Garrus grinned back. He ran his fingers through Linda's flame red hair, stopping to finger the streak of grey that now framed her face; he found it irresistible.

Linda turned her head to kiss his hand. "We fought Saren, geth, and the Reapers, yet it took raising children to make my hair turn grey."

"I like it; I think it gives you a little pizzazz." Garrus leaned over and pressed his forehead to Shepard's briefly. "Now, shall we go put an end to the war that is brewing inside?" He bowed gallantly, and then offered Shepard his elbow; she accepted with a regal nod and once again they sallied forth into 'battle' together.

* * *

**Many thanks to everyone that has taken the time to read my story. Your follows, favorites, and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


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